The Story Of Zwei
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: It was just another normal day. Or so it should've been. (Request from ChuckleBrotherz)
1. The Story Of Zwei

**This is the 4th story in the series of Zwei fics in particular requested by a patron of mine by the name of ChuckleBrotherz. It starts with Overcoming Differences, then goes on to A Loyal Companion, and then to A Little Hero's Big Adventure. This will be the 4th out of 5 stories in this little saga of Zwei.**

 **This idea was specifically requested by** **ChuckleBrotherz** **, but I've tweaked it slightly. You'll see by the end of this chapter that you as the read will get to decide what kind of ending you want to read.**

 **It takes place in the girls' senior year at Beacon.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Thank you so much for everything,** **ChuckleBrotherz** **!**

 **Disclaimer: I do now own RWBY.**

* * *

The Story Of Zwei

The first thing that registered in Ruby's mind that morning was warmth.

As she slowly cracked open her eyes, she flinched a bit at the brightness of the sunlight that was seeping in through the window. Even after three years, she hadn't gotten entirely used to it.

As a freshman, she'd situated her mattress up high, suspended from the ceiling as a bunk bed, and had draped sheets over it to keep herself protected from harsh sunlight. However, in her second, third, and even now in her final year here at Beacon Academy, she'd subjected herself to accepting a floor-bound bed, one that didn't shield her eyes her with bed sheets.

Unfortunately for her, her little old Grimm-styled sleep mask had slipped off in her slumber that night, leaving her face exposed to the sun's vibrant rays.

With a groan, she stretched herself out, her legs now able to reach nearly the end of her bed. Of the four of them in her team, she'd grown the most in recent years – probably one of the only benefits of having come to Beacon at the age of fifteen.

Her being nineteen now put the rest of her team at twenty-one. Only in recent months had Yang started taking Blake out for drinks at a local bar every now and again. Of course, Blake turned her down most of the time, but on a particularly bad day, she might've said yes.

Weiss always opted to stay behind either way, using the time instead to converse with Ruby about whichever assignments they had yet to complete, or training together on battle formations.

As she thought of them in turn, Ruby flicked her gaze to each of her sleeping teammates.

Her bed was now at one end of their senior dorm room, placed between a wall and Weiss' mattress. Though the room was much larger than their freshman room had been, the four girls no longer required very much of the added space for their personal belongings. The drawers, vanities, and personal work desks had been pushed off to the sides of the room.

Now, in their final year here at Beacon, the main purpose of their room was for it to act as a refuge. They received a new mission nearly every day now, and in between those, they were always working hard in their classes.

Over the years, their rooms had slowly evolved to reflect their needs. Now, they mostly required it for rest and recuperation, hence why the beds were what took precedence nowadays.

Of course, they occasionally took the time to celebrate and party a bit. If they had the luxury to do so - that was typically determined by Weiss, who had always been the most punctual of the group. Only if she deemed that they'd all finished their work and were well-rested enough did she allow herself to join in, and that was when the fun could start for the rest of them as well.

Presently, they were sleeping in to recover from such a night of celebration.

Just two days ago, Ruby and her team had come back from a four-night mission off to the east side of Vale. Large packs of Grimm had started to wander toward the town, and it had been their task to eradicate the beasts.

The first two days and nights had consisted of surveying the area and sizing up the threat and its power in numbers. The second two days had been all about attack and defense.

The final battle had dragged on for hours, and had the girls been any less experienced than they were, they might have come away with more than just fatigue plaguing them.

Their missions as seniors were much more difficult, much more dangerous. But if it meant protecting people and improving themselves along the way, Ruby knew her team wouldn't have had it any other way.

Still, it was before 8AM at present, and though they'd all but collapsed into their respective beds at 9 last night, she wanted them to sleep as much as they needed today.

Luckily, they'd been given a day off from classes, so sleeping in was a very welcome way to spend their time for once.

But despite the draining mission she'd just come home from, Ruby felt rather well-rested and content to stay awake now. She propped herself up on her elbows a bit, peering over at the three beds to her right side.

Weiss was next to her, curled up on her side with her back facing her leader, her long, white hair pooling out as far as her hips. Weiss had been forced to sleep that way all night. She'd dislocated her right shoulder in the fray of the battle, during the final push to finish of the last wave of Grimm.

Her injury was a result of Weiss throwing herself in between a rampaging Grimm and a pair of frightened citizens who had failed to flee the area in time. A swing of a rock-hard tail had penetrated Weiss' last-minute repulsion glyph that hadn't been fully formed yet and struck her. Blake had slaughtered the creature before it could do any more harm, but Weiss had limped out of the battle, wincing in pain.

Unfortunately, Weiss was still as self-sacrificing as ever, a bad habit that hadn't been broken in nearly four years now. The best her teammates could do was try their best to prevent a situation where Weiss might take the blow for someone else.

Ruby would be sure to check on her as soon as she woke, to ensure the heiress' aura was healing her properly.

When she lifted herself a bit more, Ruby peered over Weiss' shoulder to glimpse Blake.

The Faunus girl was facing her direction, sleeping peacefully.

It had been two years since Blake had shed her bow for good, now proudly revealing her Faunus ears to everyone, even those who weren't on her team.

It had been a deep, heart-to-heart conversation with Yang in their sophomore year that had made Blake decide to go forth with the change in appearance. Her teammates and her partner had made her realize that she didn't want to hide who she was anymore, that she was sick of always running away and keeping to the shadows.

Blake's removal of her bow was her own way of finally holding her chin up proudly and stepping out into the sunlight.

Along with this change in appearance, Blake had decided to cut her hair at the time. For a while, it had sat with the ends resting just atop her shoulders, but over the years it had since grown out again. Now, it reached her shoulder blades, not long enough to be considered a nuisance in battle.

Most of all, Ruby was glad that Blake could sleep with such a carefree expression on her face now. The nightmares that had once so frequently assaulted her had dwindled away over the years, thanks to the support and care of her teammates.

As Ruby pushed herself up into a sitting position, she was able to view the last of the four beds.

Just because Yang's bed was farthest away from hers didn't mean Ruby still couldn't _hear_ her.

She still snored, and that would probably never change. Weiss had even offered once to change her bed with Blake's so the Faunus girl's sensitive ears wouldn't be quite as bothered by the sound.

But Blake had only smiled helplessly and kindly refused the heiress. By now, she was almost as used to the sounds of Yang's snores as Ruby was.

Even after nineteen years of living with Yang, Ruby still always chuckled at the sounds of her sister's snores.

Unlike Blake or Weiss who were curled up on their sides, Yang was splayed out on her back, one arm draped lazily across her stomach and the other tucked beneath her unkept lion's mane of hair. She almost looked as though she were going tanning on the beach. Her jaw hung open slack, her legs bent in different directions and half-tangled beneath her blankets.

Her sleeping habits hadn't changed in four years, that much was for certain.

But Ruby knew her sister had changed in many other ways that were much more important.

Yang had become a great pillar of support for all of them, where they in turn had done their best to support her. Whenever any of them needed a moment to cry, they came to Yang.

She'd comforted Ruby countless times, particularly in recent months. Whenever Ruby had started to crack beneath the pressure of her responsibilities as a leader, Yang had been there to talk to her until she felt better.

Blake often had times where the loneliness would get to her, even if she were in the middle of a lecture hall surrounded by people. Whenever she excused herself, Yang was always close behind, encouraging her partner to put classes aside and go for a liberating walk outside instead, until Blake felt better.

Even Weiss had come seeking Yang's comfort more than once. Some nights just consumed her with regret, with the fear that she'd never be able to live up to her father's expectations or make her sister accept her.

She'd timidly approach Yang's bed, and the blonde always woke instantly at the sense of discomfort. She'd take Weiss into her arms and simply hold her for as long as was necessary.

Yang was never too busy or too tired to give a bit of advice, a hug, or a listening ear.

As Ruby flicked her gaze about the room once more, a smile rose so high on her cheeks that it almost ached. It was mornings like these when she could fully appreciate the love she felt for her team, how dearly she cherished them.

But there was one more member she'd yet to appreciate this morning.

Carefully, Ruby turned to her left side, where the pale brown wall was all that met her vision, until she looked down to where her feet were buried in the blankets. A pile of black and white fur was curled up there, wheezing slightly as he snored.

Zwei had gotten a little bigger throughout the years as well.

Initially, hers and Yang's father had only asked them to watch the dog for a short amount of time, while TaiYang was away.

But ever since Zwei had been officially recognized as an honored animal companion of the renown Beacon Academy, the corgi had decided to stay.

To this day, Zwei was still talked about, amongst the freshman in particular. After all, he _had_ been the one to pave the way for all animal companions here at Beacon.

The story behind his mechanical left paw had once made headlines, announcing Headmaster Ozpin's decision to welcome trained animals into his academy. The programs and preparations had come into play a little over two years ago, and Beacon had since expanded its campus in order to provide dorms and care in order to accommodate animals as large as horses.

However, Ozpin demanded that each potential animal companion pass a series of tests first and foremost. If an animal failed any of these tests, it wasn't allowed onto the campus for at least another six months when it could test again with its owner.

This was simply to regulate things. Ozpin and his staff wanted it known that not every student could bring in their pets simply because they wanted to. He made it clear that only intelligent, loyal, and physically apt animals may train at his school, and often reminded students that this was a place to train in the ways of battle and fighting monsters.

Only a handful of animals had been accepted since Zwei, and even fewer of those had been able to earn a medal of achievement like the corgi had.

Zwei was very proud of his collar which harbored Beacon's crest in silver. Ozpin himself had bestowed it upon him, and Zwei seemed to understand what a high honor that was.

He accompanied the girls to their classes nowadays, where a special trainer would collect him and take him to a 'class' of his own to train alongside the other accepted animals. What the trainers handled was mostly physical exercises to ensure the animals were swift and sturdy.

The school's curriculum had since added a new class for animal owners, which allowed Ruby and her teammates in turn to train one-on-one alongside Zwei in mock battle situations. This ensured that he had no biases towards any one girl in particular, and would gladly assist any of them on a second's notice.

He even took turns sleeping on their beds each night.

Last night had just so happened to be Ruby's turn. She loved the fact that Zwei had achieved such a high honor in Beacon and was famous for his accomplishments as a little hero. And she loved that the rest of her team now loved and respected him as their own.

But Ruby knew Zwei would always be her little puppy, the same one her father had brought home to Yang and herself one night after finding him discarded in a dumpster.

Presently, Ruby bent herself forward, grunting a bit at the slight ache in her back – results of the most-recent mission. She scooped Zwei into her arms and dragged him up over the blankets toward her.

The corgi woke instantly at the contact, lifting his head as his ears perked tall, his stumpy tail automatically starting to wiggle. Ruby cooed at him and settled him into her lap.

"Good morning, my handsome prince," she giggled, planting a kiss on his head. Zwei licked her cheek in turn, yipping softly.

Ruby decided to take him outside sooner rather than later, which would give her something to do as her teammates rested.

Keeping Zwei in her arms for the moment, Ruby bent down to kiss his head again, then rubbed vigorously along his belly. He melted beneath her fingers, one of his back legs kicking as she scratched.

There'd once been a time when Ruby had had to be very delicate with his underside. Even now, there was still a slight scar visible from where he'd been cut open by an Ursa in saving Blake. It'd been several years ago, but the fur had never grown back exactly as it should've.

Ruby bent down to kiss his belly, too. Then, she got out of bed, making an effort to throw the covers over her pillow to make it look almost neat.

Crossing the room to her drawers, she gathered her school uniform – despite the fact that she didn't have to go to classes today, this was the quickest and most comfortable thing to change into. Plus, it'd been washed just yesterday.

Heading into the bathroom, she freshened herself up a bit, though she didn't put in as much effort as she would've if she'd had a class to attend. She pulled a brush through her hair, which now reached just past her shoulders, then splashed warm water onto her face.

After changing, she re-entered the dorm room to find Zwei waiting patiently for her, tongue exposed and tail wagging. She made a kissing sound at him, inviting him to follow her to the door.

But just before she slipped out into the hallway, Ruby crouched down and scooped up Zwei's red toy ball from the floor and took it with her.

She walked with him down the hallway, and Zwei trotted proudly at her ankles. He didn't need a leash, not with that dashing silver collar of his to catch every beam of light and remind every passerby of exactly who he was.

They reached an exit and Ruby held the door for her little corgi.

Outside, the morning was warm with the beginnings of springtime. A familiar brightness had Ruby squinting, and it was like waking up all over again.

Dozens of other students were out and about at this hour, either going to class or just getting out.

About a minute's walk from the dorm rooms was an open field guarded by a perimeter of trees. The grass in between was level, and students often came here to practice battle formations or basic training skills.

But in recent years, this field had started to serve a purpose for animal companions. It was the perfect space for them to be exercised, and there was plenty of space to set up targets and obstacle courses for them to run through.

Ruby had lost count of how many times she'd frequented this field with Zwei in the past three years.

Presently she led him into the grass and let him sniff around and enjoy the warmth of the sun. There was someone else here walking a dog as well. The students who were allowed to bring animals to Beacon were few and far between, so Ruby recognized the second-year boy and his bloodhound. The mutt had an exceptional nose and could smell a Grimm miles away, even amidst a raging thunderstorm.

When Ruby caught the boy's eye, she grinned and waved happily to him, and Zwei gave a greeting bark. The boy smiled and waved back respectfully.

Most – if not all – of the underclassmen knew of their seniors, and RWBY was a team name that no one could pass through Beacon's doors without hearing at least once.

Ruby was well-liked amongst the younger generation, probably because she'd refused to let the dangerous life of a huntress get the better of her bright outlook on life.

She walked with Zwei for a little longer, eventually extracting the red ball from her skirt pocket. Immediately, Zwei jumped up and barked.

"Heehee, you ready, boy? Wanna run?"

Another bark.

"Yeah, yeah! Okay! Go get it!" She tossed the ball across the field, making sure not to use her full strength or else it'd probably end up rolling off the cliff Beacon sat upon.

Zwei wasn't at all deterred by the distance she threw it or by the fact that he'd just woken up and had yet to eat. He tore off through the grass like a bullet, his tiny legs carrying him so quickly they almost never touched the ground. He crossed the field in a matter of seconds, and made a jump for the ball. He clamped his jaws around it before it had even stopped bouncing, then wasted no time in darting back to his owner.

Ruby clapped cheerfully and opened her arms for him.

"Good boy!"

Zwei leapt up at her and she caught him expertly, snuggling him as he released the ball and licked her face all over. Ruby coddled him as she always did, scratching his back and blowing raspberries into his belly.

When she finally set him down again, she commenced their games of fetch for a few more minutes, occasionally giving the ball a spin or tossing it in an arc.

But Zwei was never thwarted and always returned with his prize in his jaws and his tiny tail held high.

They played for a little over ten minutes, enjoying the fresh air and warm sun. But soon, Ruby deemed it time for them to head back, as her teammates would likely be up before very much longer.

On their way back to the room, Zwei pranced with his red ball in his mouth and followed Ruby inside. Just as they were about to enter the dorm room area, Ruby paused at the sight of two familiar faces.

"Morning, Jaune! Hi, Pyrrha!"

The pair noticed her instantly and perked up. They were also dressed in their typical uniforms, but unlike Ruby, they were actually headed to class.

"Heya there, Ruby." Jaune's voice might've gotten a bit deeper over the years, but his goofy manner of speaking was majorly unchanged. He'd grown a bit taller as well, but Pyrrha had an inch or so on him.

"Good morning, Ruby! It's good to see you! I heard your team just got back from that mission yesterday, right?"

JNPR and RWBY weren't neighbors in their dorms any longer, so they didn't know much news about the other team other than what they heard around campus or from the teams themselves.

Ruby nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah, we just got back. Everyone's resting up now. We're excused from classes today. I was just taking Zwei out for a walk."

"Oh, wonderful!" Pyrrha crouched down and reached out her hand to the corgi. Zwei was more than familiar with her by now, and he happily licked her hand. That never failed to make Pyrrha laugh heartily, and now was no different.

Ruby grinned at the sound, and Jaune blushed heavily; even though he and Pyrrha had been dating for over a year now – to everyone's great relief – he was still awkward and flustered around her.

At last, Pyrrha stood once more and fixed her uniform.

"Well, thank you for chatting with us, Ruby. But Jaune and I have got to get to class now. Nora warned us that if we're even three seconds late, she'll come hunting for us."

"Oh, I see," Ruby chuckled. "Okay then! See you guys around!"

"Yeah," Jaune said with a wave. "You guys enjoy your day off."

"Oh, don't worry, we will!"

As they went their separate ways, Zwei followed after Ruby once more.

In just a few minutes, they reached their dorm room, and after a quick swipe of fingers and inputting the password, Ruby pushed inside.

Her teammates were just rousing themselves, stretching and groaning and running hands through their longer hair. Upon hearing the door, the three of them perked up and looked to their leader.

Yang released a massive yawn and spoke groggily.

"Heya, Rubes. Figured you were up already. You've never really been one to sleep in much."

"Morning, guys," Ruby beamed. "But we deserve to sleep in today! It's our day off!"

"Right," Blake nodded. "Tomorrow we'll have to be back in class."

Weiss rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"We didn't have any assignments for classes, did we?"

"Nothin' we didn't already finish, thanks to you!" Yang reassured her. "You're always on top of things, Weiss. Remember? We got all our work done before we left for our mission, so don't sweat it."

"Right..." The heiress exhaled, a bit unsteadily. "I'd completely forgotten..."

As Ruby was crossing the room to her bed with Zwei at her heels, the brunette caught Blake's eye. The Faunus girl's ears were drooping a bit, her gaze flashing back to Weiss briefly. Ruby understood her silent message and nodded.

"Hey, how's your shoulder?" she wondered, sitting down on Weiss' bed beside her. "Did you sleep okay? Is it still sore?"

Weiss blinked at her slowly, then made an effort to move her injured arm. She winced at a sharp pain in her back, then sucked in a clipped breath.

"Yes," she reported. "Still rather sore."

"What about the medicine they gave you at the infirmary?" Blake remembered. "Where are those pain killers?"

Weiss nodded her head toward her dresser across the room. Yang was closest to it, and she quickly hopped out of bed and grabbed the bottle. She whistled and tossed it across the room to Blake who caught it hastily.

"You could've just walked over here..." she sighed.

"This was much faster~" Yang grinned.

Ruby took it upon herself to go to their little kitchen area, one of the perks of being a senior team now. She filled a glass of water for her partner at the sink to help with the pills.

In her temporary absence, Zwei took her spot on the bed. When she noticed him, Weiss smiled softly, trying to forget the ache in her shoulder.

"Why, good morning," she murmured. "What have you been up to, Zwei? Playing fetch with Ruby, hm?"

With her good hand, she patted his head, and he nuzzled her palm, knowing Weiss didn't like being licked too much.

Once Ruby had returned with the glass of water, Blake poured out two pills for Weiss. The heiress downed them all in just a few gulps, then heaved another sigh.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it!" Ruby said with a trademark salute.

"Do you want me to massage your shoulder for you?" Blake offered. "The nurse had said that could help the pain."

Weiss hesitated a moment, but ultimately gave her consent.

Blake moved to the heiress' bed and sat beside her. She reached up to Weiss' injured shoulder, bracing one hand at the front of it and the other on her teammate's back.

"Pet Zwei," she suggested. "Don't think about the pain."

Weiss did her best to do just that. Ruby and Yang watched from a short distance away.

The second Blake applied pressure on her, Weiss' face contorted in pain, but she never cried out anything louder than a gasp. Zwei could sense her discomfort and was on high alert, consciously doing his best to distract her.

This hadn't been the first time he'd comforted a patient. It was actually part of his training now, to provide a distraction for people in the infirmary who would need to experience painful procedures.

He put his skills to the test now, giving happy little yips as he curled up in Weiss' lap and rolled around, smiling up at her. The heiress allowed herself to succumb to the urge to pet him with her good hand, running her fingers through his course fur.

Zwei waited for a moment, until that technique had lost its effect and Weiss started to cringe again. The corgi noticed right away and moved onto his neck trick.

He slid off Weiss' lap to the side opposite of where Blake sat, actively trying to take the heiress' attention off of what was going on behind her. Zwei gave a little bark and reached out his fake left paw towards Weiss.

The girl took a breath and allowed herself to be distracted as Blake continued to press her fingers into the aching muscle. Weiss reached out for Zwei's paw, and as soon as she did, he nuzzled her fingers. He then raised his other paw, and repeated the process.

Weiss soon figured out that she was supposed to touch his paw and withdraw quickly enough before she could get nuzzled. It was a game.

With her mind now focused on that, she was hardly feeling the soreness in her shoulder anymore. She won a few rounds of the game with Zwei, but a few tries later, he tricked her, switched paws, and ended up bumping her hand again. Weiss actually laughed, and her teammates widened their eyes in surprise.

At that point, Blake stopped what she was doing and rubbed Weiss' back gently.

"Does that feel any better?"

"Absolutely," Weiss smiled, turning back to the Faunus girl. "It almost feels as good as new. Thank you, Blake. And thank _you_ ," she said, turning back to pet Zwei.

He wiggled his haunches and wagged his tail in response.

Ruby and Yang stood side by side, unable to wipe the grins off their faces.

"Wow," Yang murmured. "I'm impressed. I haven't seen him us that technique before."

"It's brand new," Ruby informed her. "We just practiced it last week and he's already perfected it."

"What a good dog."

"I'll say!"

The two sisters crossed the room now. Yang passed by the bed and scooped Zwei up into her arms. She cradled him and dipped her head, cooing and nuzzling her nose against his. Excitedly, he jumped up and covered her face with licks, making her laugh.

"Good thing I'm about to shower! Hey, Blake, when do _I_ get a massage, huh?"

The Faunus girl stood from the bed and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe later if you're good and if I feel like it."

Yang clearly hadn't been expecting an actual and favorable response, because her eyes went wide.

"Really? You mean it? Oh, sweet!" She let Zwei down onto the floor and tapped her thigh. "Alright, c'mon boy! Chow time!"

Blake and Yang crossed the room to the small kitchen area to begin preparing a bowls of cereal for the team. This was something they'd often done in their freshman year, and ever since had tended to take advantage of the cafeteria more.

But it was their day off, and a little nostalgia wouldn't hurt anyone.

As Blake prepared the team's food, Yang rummaged around the cabinets for Zwei's canned food. She laid out five different cans and let him tap which one he wanted, then she got to opening it for him.

Meanwhile, Ruby stayed with Weiss. She tossed every question at the heiress such as "You're _sure_ you feel better now? Do you wanna go back to the infirmary and have them check on it just in case?"

To which Weiss always replied the same. "No, don't worry. Yes, I'm fine."

They went on for a moment or so, until Weiss had convinced Ruby beyond a reasonable doubt that she was feeling much better. Ruby sighed happily and wrapped her partner in a soft hug, taking care not to put too much pressure on her hurt side.

Weiss returned the contact as best she could, taking the moment to close her eyes and lean herself against Ruby's supportive weight.

The brunette could tell Weiss was still exhausted, and when she looked back to Yang and Blake, they were both still yawning as well.

It would be a good day for rest and recuperation. For all of them.

Once Ruby and Weiss parted from their brief embrace, the leader helped the heiress to her feet, making sure Weiss was steady. They each made their beds before going into the kitchen to join the others for breakfast.

As the four of them sat around a small table to eat, they collectively decided to stick to the school campus today.

"No errands!" Yang declared. "Just relaxin'!"

Since Yang was the one who smelled like dog slobber, she decided to shower first. The others went about tidying up the room.

Ruby stayed in the kitchen to wash up their cereal bowls as well as Zwei's bowl. Weiss went about scouring their work desk, gathering all of their papers and finished assignments and organizing everything for classes tomorrow. Blake began removing the pillows from their beds, then stripped the sheets to get them into the laundry basket.

When Yang had finished her shower, she emerged dressed in casual shorts and a t-shirt and helped Blake with packing all the laundry into a basket. Weiss went to shower next, and the others continued to clean the room up a bit.

By noontime, all four of them had showered and changed clothes. Their school uniforms or combat attire was too formal, and their pajamas were just the opposite, so they settled for lighter shorts and dresses. They put away their clean clothes, but would have to wait a while yet for the bed sheets and blankets.

During that time, they decided to get some fresh air.

Ruby took Zwei's red ball with her again, and all five of them ventured outside. They went to the same field where Ruby and Zwei had gone that morning, simply walking around and enjoying the sunlight and the familiar scenery. They chatted casually, commenting on how nice it felt to have the liberty to do this without having to worry about classes or missions for once.

Sometimes they would go for strolls like this during the evenings, but they couldn't remember the last time they'd had the luxury to do it at this bright hour.

At one point, Ruby clapped her hands and suggested they play some games together with Zwei. The others agreed and spread out across the field of low-cut grass.

Zwei darted out to run in between them, scampering about and running around like a tiny rocket ship. Ruby pulled out his red ball from her jacket's pocket and tossed it high into the air for him to catch. Once he had it in his jaws, Zwei raced the ball over to the nearest girl and had her throw it for him.

Blake tossed it next, then Weiss, then Yang, and then it came back to Ruby. They played fetch with him first, then started giving him commands for different tricks. He'd roll or flip in midair to snatch the ball, or he'd have to use his nose or back to deflect it.

For almost an hour they played, until Zwei's energy started to run low. The next time he brought his toy ball to Ruby, she slipped it into her pocket, scooped him up, and declared they should head back inside.

The others followed, tired but content.

The rest of their day consisted of finishing the laundry, pulling fresh warm sheets back over their mattresses, and then relaxing in whichever way was best for them.

Ruby decided to sit in Weiss' bed with her, playing a small handheld game. She used headphones so the noise wouldn't disturb her partner as Weiss looked over some papers for class tomorrow. Zwei hopped up onto the bed with them, as tonight it would be Weiss' bed he would sleep on anyway.

Blake decided to cave and give Yang her massage. Luckily for her, the blonde only moaned and sighed for a few minutes of it until she was out like a light. Blake opted to sit in bed beside her partner and read.

At one point or another, the others dozed off a bit, some for longer periods of time than others.

Blake fell asleep sitting up with her book in her lap, with Yang sprawled out and snoring at her side. Ruby noticed Weiss' posture had slumped a bit as well, and the brunette carefully helped the heiress lie down on her good side.

Ruby put her game aside and cuddled up with her partner, enjoying the tranquil silence that blanketed the dorm room. Zwei moved up to sleep behind her knees, and he too, let out a little sigh.

The girls rested a little longer, then gradually woke in the evening hours to fetch some supper from the cafeteria.

After that, it was a simple matter of returning to the dorm room, feeding Zwei, and changing back into their sleepwear to collapse back into their respective beds.

There were wishes of goodnight shared between them all, and wishes that they all rest well. Blake turned off the lamp that sat in between her bed and Yang's, and Ruby did the same for the lamp between hers and Weiss'.

Zwei curled up with the heiress tonight, snuggling up against her good shoulder. She sighed and pulled him close.

The night swept over them, with only a few slivers of moonlight passing through the curtains.

Tomorrow would toss them back into their work-loaded schedule.

But at least today had been one they wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

The alarms woke them the next morning.

The beeping sounds were rather soft, but to people who had been resting in complete silence all night, it was blaring to hear now.

Ruby smacked the button before long, not even her Grimm sleep-mask preventing her from pressing it with expert, seasoned precision.

She pushed herself up and pulled her arms up above her head, letting both shoulders pop. Weiss groaned at the sound of it, as it reminded her of her own shoulder getting dislocated. Ruby removed her eye-mask and saw her partner was making a disgusted expression.

"Oops," Ruby rasped sheepishly. "Sorry, Weiss."

"It's fine. I just don't think I'll be used to anything _cracking_ anytime soon."

Zwei was the next one awake, rolling over beside Weiss and whimpering sleepily. She rubbed his belly for him briefly before forcing herself out of bed. Ruby was soon to follow, crossing the room to gather her uniform.

Blake stretched herself out next, being mindful to do it when Weiss wasn't looking. Yang was the last of them to get moving.

Ruby and Blake took their turns in the bathroom first, and while Yang and Weiss waited, they brushed through their hair. Yang sat beside the heiress, realizing it was a bit hard for Weiss to brush with just one hand. Yang offered to help and was granted the heiress' brush.

"How's the arm?" she wondered, combing gently down the girl's back.

Weiss shrugged.

"Better. Thank you."

"Not a problem~"

Once Yang had finished taking care of Weiss' hair, she finished her own. They all took turns changing, eating, and freshening up, until they were all finally ready for classes.

They had mostly lectures today, a bit of physical activity, but no battle training or sparring. Weiss distributed everyone's papers and book bags for them, though Yang happily carried Weiss' for her so the heiress wouldn't have to aggravate her shoulder.

Zwei trotted along after them, as Blake would be taking him to his training lessons first that morning.

It was just another normal day.

Or so it should've been.

. . .

. .

.

Ruby couldn't even remember what the lecture had been on at the time when the alarms first went off.

One moment, she'd been sitting in class beside Weiss and Yang, diligently taking down notes and doing her best to participate and contribute to the class.

And the next thing she knew they were under attack.

The alarms were an almost unfamiliar sound. In her four years attending Beacon's classes, the Academy had only ever been under direct attack fewer times than there were years to attend. They had had plenty of drills before, and any student second-year or higher knew how to go about the procedure of lock-down.

But as soon as those alarms started blaring, the first-years weren't the only ones in a high-strung panic.

As Professor Port called for order in his classroom, Ruby flashed a tense gaze to Weiss and Yang on either side of her.

"This isn't a drill," she muttered beneath the chorus of scared voices. "The Professors clearly didn't know about this."

Weiss was currently doing her best to sooth a group of frightened freshmen nearby, firmly telling them they needed to be quiet and listen for instructions. Once she'd convinced them that this was a serious matter, they fell silent.

Weiss turned back to Ruby and Yang with her eyes narrowed. She kept her voice down so as not to panic any of the other students more than they already were.

"It's got to be an infiltration," she whispered. "Someone must've gotten to the cliffs undetected. We just need to know who and how many."

"Where's Blake right now?" Yang asked. "She's with Zwei, right? Are they outside in the fields or inside the gym today?"

Ruby pondered for a brief moment.

"I... think they were supposed to be inside today."

"Alright. Then she'd be closest to the lockers."

"I'm hoping there's no need for that," Weiss mumbled. "With any luck, this will be something minor that the professors can handle on their own."

Unfortunately, they soon found out it wasn't that simple.

The alarms continued to blare for several minutes. As was standard procedure, Professor Port had locked the doors to his lecture hall after taking in any students he'd found in the hallways at the time. He kept his scroll on as he communicated with the other members of the staff and Ozpin himself.

During this time, it was the upperclassmen's job to comfort and control the younger, less experienced students. Most of them were terrified and some nearly went into panicked fits. But before long, the entire lecture hall was almost dead-silent as they awaited further instructions.

Every second that ticked on was another blast of the alarms, and the longer it went on, the clearer it was becoming to the seniors that they would need to take action.

During a drill at Beacon Academy if the school was being infiltrated, normally professors and the staff would act to handle the threat. But of course, their first order of business was to keep their students safe. This meant that many of the school's seasoned fighters were locked behind classroom doors with their students, and only professors who didn't happen to have a class at the time of the infiltration could confront the threat.

Presently, there weren't enough professors to spare. Beacon needed more fighters.

Which meant only one thing.

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all stood from their seats now, as did all of the other seniors in the room. A wide-scale infiltration of Beacon's grounds hadn't happened in nearly a decade, but when it was bad enough, senior students were required to take action in the professors' stead.

They'd been training at Beacon for four years, after all. Even if they'd never acted in a real situation like this before, they knew how things worked thanks to constant drill practices.

Professor Port stood behind the locked doors, muttering into his scroll. He looked up when he noticed that a fraction of his students had risen from their seats, awaiting specific orders. He didn't want to have to send his students into battle if he could avoid it. But it was soon clear that it was entirely unavoidable.

With a swift word to the person on the other end of his scroll, Port looked up to the older students and gave a single nod.

Instantly, the seniors took off across the room, running swiftly and silently. They were never to use the main doors to the classroom in such an emergency, but hidden passageways behind doors in the far wall.

Ruby was fastest, and therefore first in line. As she reached the hidden door, she extracted her scroll and typed in the emergency code number. Professor Port then needed to confirm on his own scroll that he was permitting the door to open. Once he had, the door slid open, revealing a narrow, dimly-lit hallway that traveled through the school's interior.

Ruby wasted no time in darting through, and the others followed behind her in a single-file line. A string of a dozen or so seniors rushed through the passage, keeping as quiet as physically possible.

After only about a minute, they arrived at secluded room. It wasn't terribly large, but it was more spacious than the tunnels.

Every classroom in Beacon Academy had a secret hallway that led to this room in case of dire emergencies like this one where the fighters could convene and discuss a plan of action.

Ruby and her group weren't the first ones here. Several other groups were waiting already, and team JNPR was among them. The walls here were soundproof, so the senior students broke off to start conversing, speaking in hushed, stern voices. When JNPR reached them, their leader was the first to speak.

"What the heck's going on?" Jaune mumbled. "This is for real, right? Holy cow..."

"It's nothing we can't handle," Pyrrha soothed.

"It is if we don't have our weapons," Ren put in.

"Nah, just lemme at 'em!" Nora exclaimed. "I'll break their legs with or without Magnhild!"

As the students waited for painstaking minutes, more and more people gradually began to trickle into the hidden room. Several professors were among them, including Glynda. It was she who started to give a briefing of the situation.

"Students of Beacon Academy," she called out. "Your professors have sent you here because we require your assistance. You seniors are trained fighters, intelligent and strong-minded. We would not have called upon you all if we hadn't needed to.

"At present, Beacon Academy is under siege of a terrorist attack. White Fang are among them, as well as several other individual radical groups. It appears they have teamed up and managed to hijack one of our Air Ships in order to transport their army onto our campus undetected. Headmaster Ozpin has called for assistance from General Ironwood, but we don't have time to wait for his arrival. We must fight, and we must fight now."

A wave of determined voices rippled through the crowd, though most of the students were unarmed and didn't see how they would be able to fight. They weren't even wearing their specialized clothes, and there was hardly any sturdiness to Beacon's default uniform.

Students who had been in battle training at the time of the attack were likely already fighting for their lives and the lives of their friends.

Ruby despised the idea of having to sit around here as her fellows risked their lives.

Yang was anxious, too. She kept pacing in the small space available to her, clenching and un-clenching her knuckles as though aching to smash them into an enemy's skull.

As was expected, Weiss was more reserved in the face of crisis, silent and contemplative as she awaited orders. It was Yang who caught the heiress' eye and seemed to remember something important.

"Hey, hey," she said. "Why are you lookin' like you plan to fight, Weiss? No way can you go into battle with your arm like that. It's not fully healed yet."

Weiss snorted a bit and squared her shoulders.

"It's just fine. Certainly nothing that will hinder me significantly in a fight. I can still be of use. I've already run all the way here, after all."

"I don't know..." Ruby put in. "Yang might be right, Weiss."

"Not you, too." The heiress turned to her leader and partner, blue eyes stern. "Ruby, please. You know I can't just sit around here while the rest of you are in danger. While the entire _school_ is in danger. I'm not going to let my friends fight alone. I can be backup at the very least."

Ruby was silent for a moment as she held Weiss' gaze. They'd had many spats and disputes over the years, but this was the first time it was under these circumstances.

As the leader, Ruby needed to ensure her teammates and friends were safe above all else. But she couldn't afford to keep an excellent fighter like Weiss out of this if she could help it. They needed every solider they could get right now, and Weiss was a valiant one.

After a moment of thought and searching Weiss' eyes, Ruby nodded and gave her consent.

"Alright. Thanks for fighting with us, Weiss."

"Don't thank me, you dunce."

"Either way," Yang grunted. "No one in here is fighting anyone out there unless we get our weapons and _fast_."

By now, the secret room was nearly filled with almost every senior student in the school, but few of the present people had their weapons. Glynda and the other professors were conversing, likely discussing methods of how to send them out to the lockers to retrieve their things.

But before they could come to a decision, a final wave of students came rushing in. It was the group who had been training with their animals that morning. Blake was among them, with Zwei on her heels.

And each of those people had their hands filled with their friends' and teammates' weapons.

Cries of relief went up, more so to see their friends safe than to see their weapons, but those were much-appreciated as well.

Blake didn't need to push her way over to her team – with Crescent Rose folded at one hip, Myrtenaster at the other, Ember Celica in her arms, and Gambol Shroud on her back, people made a path for _her_.

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang hurried to meet her. Blake distributed their respective weapons and let out a sigh of relief at having the weight off of her.

"It's good to see you guys," she panted. "As soon as the alarms went off, they told us to grab all our teammates' weapons since we were close to the lockers. The professor used a master code to open all of the lockers so we could grab everything we could. Figured none of you guys would be able to make it to the lockers."

"Thank god for that!" Yang said, slipping on her gauntlets with ease and locking them in place.  
"And it's good to see you too, partner." She pulled Blake into a brief hug.

"Agreed," Weiss said as she took Myrtenaster. "You're very much a life-saver, Blake."

"We lucked out," Ruby commented. She kept Crescent Rose in its compact form for the moment, then reached down to scoop up Zwei. He was a bit more stoic than usual, but at the prospect of being lifted by his owner, he yipped happily and licked her cheek when he was able to. Ruby settled him onto her shoulder for the moment, her eyes flashing to Blake's once more. "It's a good thing you guys were near the lockers. Now all of us are armed and those terrorists had better watch out!"

"Terrorists?" Blake's voice was laden with shock, and the others quickly briefed her on the situation. They tried to be gentle in telling her about the White Fang being here, but at the mention of their title, she didn't seem surprised or despaired. After all, this wouldn't be her first time confronting them with her ears exposed.

Even so, the White Fang had long-since become aware of who she was, and it was no secret that Blake was a target to them.

With the additional factor that Weiss was injured, and a Schnee, whom the White Fang had never harbored anything but hatred for, the team was opting to stay as close together as possible.

Glynda was beginning to give orders now, dividing everyone into groups, two or three teams per group. She called out for Ruby's team specifically.

"Team RWBY! Are you present?"

All four girls replied in unison.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"A moment, if you will," she said levelly. But then she raised her voice to the others. "The rest of you are dismissed! Protect this school and your fellows with your lives! If each of you do this, then none of you will die."

There was a unanimous answer of affirmation, and then the seniors began filing swiftly out of the room through all of the different branches of hallways. Glynda held Team RWBY back just for a moment, sweeping her gaze around at all four of the anxious girls and their famous corgi.

"I understand you've just returned from a very harrowing mission," she said. She directed her stern gaze toward Weiss. "Miss Schnee. You are injured, are you not?"

Weiss flinched slightly, but held her ground.

"Yes, Professor. But it's nearly healed."

"Regardless," Glynda quipped. "I want you to avoid the heart of the battle if possible. Back up your teammates and friends first and foremost. Engage only if there is no other option available to you."

With her orders received, Weiss bowed her head.

"Yes, ma'am."

Glynda next addressed Blake.

"Miss Belladonna. I don't mean to be intrusive, but there's no easy way around it, so I'll be blunt. I understand you have a history with the White Fang. Headmaster Ozpin has speculated for quite a while now. And you as well, Miss Schnee. You've both seen how this group fights up close and personal. You've been amidst their battles many times before, am I correct?" Both girls hesitated, but ended up nodding. "Right," Glynda went on. "Then I want you two focused on them. Miss Rose and Miss Long, please do your best to deal with the other radicals."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You got it!"

"Very good. With any luck, I won't be far off, but I know you four can handle yourselves. This is certainly nothing you haven't already dealt with countless times before, be it on or off my radar."

The four girls avoided her gaze for the moment, but this was no time for sheepishness. Glynda drew her riding crop and struck the floor with it. "Now then, off you go! Let's get these pests off our campus as quickly and cleanly as possible."

Without wasting another second, they took off down the nearest hallway. The silence of the soundproof room was soon replaced by the familiar blaring of the alarms, the muffled volume of which increased with every step they took.

The hallway led them back into one of Beacon's many classrooms, where dozens of underclassmen were cringing in the far corners. The professor took note of the senior team's arrival and watched as they crossed the room to the main exit of the lecture all.

Once there, the professor unlocked the doors briefly to allow them access to the school beyond. The four girls slipped out, and Yang closed the door behind her.

They were prepared to face anything.

But the hallway they found themselves in was vacant. The alarm sounds still shook the air, which prevented any of them from hearing properly for sounds of distress.

Blake folded her ears back, somewhat disoriented. But hopefully, that just meant the other Faunus of the White Fang were just as badly affected.

Blake had trained herself well enough by now to be accustomed to such loud noises in the heat of battle, and in a minute or so, she'd be able to push the sounds to the back of her mind and ignore them completely.

But since none of them could hear as well as they might've liked to, Ruby reached up to her shoulder and let Zwei down to the floor.

"Go on, boy," she urged him. "Sniff 'em out."

Zwei went to work instantly, pressing his nose to the cool tile and inhaling. He could instantly detect an unfamiliar scent, along with the smell of gunpowder. With a soft bark to get their attention, he tore off down the hallway. The rest of them followed, keeping a tight formation, all senses on high alert.

They followed Zwei around a few turns, but it wasn't long before sounds of battle joined in the alarms. Shouts and gunshots echoed throughout the hallways now, and the girls came skidding to a halt.

Zwei, however, kept going, as he'd been trained to do. He darted around the corner to where the fray was taking place. He could smell good people and bad people there, but as he skirted the hall, he was sure to keep count of the enemies. He weaved between ankles and under the swing of blades, occasionally bumping himself purposefully into an enemy's calf to unbalance them.

Once he'd rounded the area, he hurried back to where Ruby and the others were waiting. Zwei tapped his mechanical paw against the tile repeatedly, and Ruby paid attention to how many times he swiped it.

"Twenty-five," she reported to the others. "And by the sound of it, some of our friends are already out there."

"Then let's go!" Yang cocked her fists and took up a wider stance. Ruby nodded.

"Just don't forget with Professor Goodwitch said. Yang, you and me have to focus on non-White Fang. And Weiss, you need to be on backup, not the front lines."

The others all nodded swiftly.

In earlier years, they might've bickered or demanded a different position. But they'd been through so much together by this point. They all wholeheartedly respected and accepted Ruby as their leader, and abided by her commands with the utmost loyalty.

With a nod, Ruby led the charge into the battle.

There were only eight other Beacon students present in this area of the school, and they were certainly relieved to see some backup.

This particular section of the school was near the cafeteria, but just a little further beyond it were first-year classrooms. Their only goal right now was to defend those unarmed students and give the professors enough time to evacuate them into the underground passageways.

However, there were only White Fang members present here, so Ruby and Yang had no choice but to engage them first and foremost.

Ruby zipped through the crowd with ease, taking the liberty to assist a fellow student who was outnumbered by four enemies. Ruby took two of them, using the blunt side of her scythe to ram their chests and send them reeling.

It was a little difficult not to go all-out; had these attackers been Grimm, she would've been able to kill them. But considering that they were people, Ruby opted not to kill unless it was a last resort.

Such was how all of Beacon's students had been trained.

But those two men were the only ones Ruby got the jump on. Her team's ambush was only effective for a few seconds before the White Fang regrouped and attacked in a new formation.

Ruby used her scythe more as a shield to deflect bullets and smash their blades to render them useless, firing rounds at their legs to immobilize them.

Weiss was keeping out of the fray as best she could. Her purpose here was more to form glyphs to help her fellows. She kept a keen eye on as many of them as she could, often pulling them out of harm's way at the last second, or sometimes giving them a boost with a leap or a run.

The action in the heart of such a frantic battle was incredibly fast, and Weiss was even faster with her reactions, sometimes casting up to five glyphs at once and controlling them accordingly. It had taken many years of training to get to her current level of concentration and skill, and she was putting it all to good use now.

The only downside to it all was that while she was covering her friends' backs, her own was exposed. She couldn't afford to put up a repulsion glyph to shield herself, as that would've been one fewer glyph she could've sent out to help someone else.

Therefore, Yang was stationed as her bodyguard of sorts, keeping anyone who tried to aim for Weiss at bay. She'd only rush out into the battle if Weiss was clear for the moment, where Yang would throw a few searing punches and then retreat to the heiress' side once more.

From her standpoint at the edge of the battle, Yang also fired bullets whenever she could, either fending off or taking out opponents from afar.

Blake was in the attack battalion with Ruby, slashing her sword as more of a warning than an assault.

But bloodshed was unavoidable today. After all, Beacon was being attacked, and there were innocent lives at stake.

Just because Blake had cut ties with the White Fang over a decade ago didn't meant she'd forgotten how they fought. She knew their basic formations and how each person had a different role. Some were meant to distract while others would sneak around to attack from behind.

Blake made sure none of them got the satisfaction. She cut down every masked Faunus before they could ever hope to ambush one of her friends.

In the meantime, Zwei was running around the entire area, barking at the top of his lungs. Since the animal companions had become an official part of Ozpin's school, all of his students had been trained to fight alongside some of the animals, whether they belonged to those students or not.

And this was precisely why.

The animals were trained to make as much of a ruckus as possible during a fight. Dogs would bark and bite at enemies, horses would whinny and trample and kick, birds would squawk and fly into snipers' faces, and so on.

Beacon's students were all used to the sounds of their animals. But the White Fang was thrown off by it, and clearly confused as to what this new tactic was.

Which made it all the more effective.

Zwei barked at the attackers, jumping up to bite at their ankles or shins, then darting away again. He dodged bullets and daggers, then threw himself into the backs of their knees to double them over. He was the perfect size for attacking their legs and unbalancing them, and he was good enough of a distraction to give Beacon's students ample time and opportunity to counter.

With Beacon's numbers now half of what the White Fang's were here, and with their superior weapons and knowledge of the terrain, the students soon emerged victorious.

Of course, this was only one small section of the school, and there were plenty of other areas that likely needed their assistance. Those who were majorly uninjured and still able to fight took off to find the next group of enemies to fight. Those who needed medical attention stayed behind.

Ruby didn't head out just yet though, as she wanted to know what the rest of her team was doing.

"I'll take whoever's injured," Yang offered. "I could probably use a band-aid myself," she said. Reluctantly, she revealed her right side where a long gash had painted red across her stomach. Ruby winced and nodded to her quickly.

"Okay. You guys go."

There were only two other students who were badly injured, and Ruby guided them both toward Yang. Her sister was hurt, but it wasn't anything that was dire enough to prevent her from fighting again if she happened to encounter more trouble. Yang took one of the two injured student's arms around each of her shoulders and sighed.

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help, guys."

"Hey, you did plenty," Weiss reminded her.

"She's right, Yang," Blake said. "Without you, Weiss wouldn't have been able to do her job, and that would've been bad news for the rest of us."

"You deserve a rest," Ruby told her sister. "There shouldn't be any enemies on the inside as far as the infirmary. But just in case, I'll send out a distress signal on my scroll."

She did as much as she said it, pressing a red button where she quickly typed in a code number. It meant there were injured students on their way to the infirmary, and anyone else in the whole school who had their scroll on them would receive that message. This way, if anyone happened to be in that area or headed that way, they knew they could find Yang and assist her.

The blonde nodded her thanks as she took the other two with her and started for the medical wing.

"Hey..." she called back to her teammates. "Take care, you guys. Love you."

The other three nodded.

"Good luck."

"Thank you, Yang."

"Love you, too."

With that, their team broke off.

As Yang headed deeper into the school, the rest of them headed outward.

Zwei was once again at the head of the team, following his nose. As they ran, Ruby looked back to assess any injuries, but could only see a few minor scratches on Blake. She herself had a sore arm at the worst, but it was nothing serious.

Zwei led them up the nearest stairwell, all the way up to the top floor, where the majority of the noise seemed to be coming from. They ended up in another section of the school, near the administration's offices. He went on his round to asses the numbers, then reported back to Ruby. She let out a long breath.

"Oh boy. Forty, huh? And just ten of ours out there..."

Weiss stepped up beside her partner and put a steadying hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"There are thirteen of us now," she declared. "Fourteen with Zwei."

Ruby gave a quick smile and nodded. Blake came up on her other side, her eyes narrowed.

"I don't like that they're already up here," she growled. "They're trying to break into our security and shut it down."

"We won't let them," Ruby vowed. She lifted her scythe, then gave her signal to move.

They rounded the corner and joined the battle immediately.

This time, the White Fang weren't the only ones present. Ruby recognized Mercury and Emerald right away. The ferocious duo who had been pestering Ruby and her team for four years now was taking down Beacon's students left and right, aiming to kill.

The second Weiss was able to, she resorted to her previous tactics of forming glyphs to draw her companions out of the line of fire. Blake took up Yang's role now and guarded Weiss, defending the heiress to allow her to work her lifesaving magic.

Team JNPR was here as well, and they were among some of the few who hadn't yet been badly wounded. Ren was focusing on retrieving the injured students and taking them to where the fighting didn't reach. Jaune opted to help him, and together they took care of their own.

While the boys were on the defensive, Pyrrha and Nora were on the offensive. Nora swung her hammer around like a two-ton tornado, smashing it into whomever was unlucky enough to not get out of the way. The ones that did manage to jump back were swiftly met with Pyrrha's shield to their skulls and dropped unconscious to the floor.

Ruby jumped in to help them, and together the three girls focused their attacks on Mercury and Emerald.

A good number of the White Fang were guarding those two in particular. Nora took it upon herself to scatter them with a roar and a swing of Magnhild. Ruby and Pyrrha charged forward and respectively faced Emerald and Mercury.

Pyrrha was even more exceptional a fighter than she'd been a year or even a week ago. Her defense was flawless, even in wake of Mercury's deadly kicks. She blocked everything and countered just as fiercely, fury burning in her eyes.

She'd once taken classes together with these people whom she'd trusted to be her friends. But that had been three years ago during the Vytal Festival. Shortly after the tournament, Mercury, Emerald, and several other students from Haven had revealed their true, diabolical colors and wicked intentions.

Beacon had fended them off once, and they'd do it again.

Ruby was equally as eager to get them off her territory. She didn't hold back in deflecting Emerald's blades.

Ruby might've been speedy, but Crescent Rose was much heavier than Emerald's weapons, and therefore she was at a bit of a disadvantage. The red-eyed girl laughed harshly in her face.

"Aw, c'mon Little Red! Even after all these years, you're still so weak? I'm disappointed."

Emerald jumped and gave a powerful kick, one Ruby only just barely managed to block, but it still pushed her back and had her reeling a bit. With a grunt, Ruby shoved her opponent away, but Emerald didn't seem fazed. She laughed again and retreated back into the fray, quickly vanishing among the writhing bodies and gunfire.

Ruby did her best to push through the crowd to follow her, but she was immediately blocked by several White Fang members whom she had no choice but to engage.

This group wasn't like the previous ones, who'd only had smaller guns, knives, and swords. This group had military weapons, rifles, and explosives. If it hadn't been for Weiss keeping an eye on Beacon's side and providing shields with her glyphs accordingly, there would've been a lot more blood on the walls than there already was.

As Ruby tried to seek out Emerald once again, she caught sight of Pyrrha and noticed that she'd lost Mercury as well.

Ruby didn't like this. She knew those two were up to something, and she needed to find out what.

The vicious battle continued, and somewhere along the lines, Beacon's students had been forced to stop trying to spare lives.

Now it was war, and casualties were unavoidable.

Pyrrha wasn't just using her shield anymore, but her javelin as well. Nora wasn't just smashing legs or arms anymore, but aimed for the head when she could. Jaune and Blake aimed their swords at throats if possible. Ren fired at the temples. Weiss used her glyphs to control her enemies as well as her friends, though the latter she rescued and the former she threw directly into the lines of fire. Ruby arched her scythe with the blade side out, cleaving a path through her adversaries.

As they continued to fight, they all tried to remind themselves that this bloodshed was justified.

After several more minutes, however, Beacon was down to its final few fighters.

Jaune and Ren had dragged out all of the injured people on their side, but now it was only teams RWBY and JNPR that remained. Despite the dent they'd put in the enemies' numbers, they were still gravely outnumbered.

A little black bolt of lightning flashed in Ruby's gaze, and she knew it was Zwei. A bit of relief washed over her then, as she hadn't seen or heard him within recent minutes due to the sounds of battle and the alarms still blaring.

He was still darting about and distracting opponents long enough for someone else to take them out. Or he was jumping on the enemies from behind and deterring their aim.

Ruby watched at present as he did just that, jumping up to latch his strong, sharp teeth into one man's arm. He hollered and tried to throw the corgi off, but Zwei held fast. Only when the man pointed a gun at his head did Zwei release him with such perfect timing that the man ended up shooting his own arm and collapsed to the floor howling.

Ruby smirked a little bit, but it wasn't long before she was faced with her next adversary. She could tell her side was gradually being forced back, and it wouldn't be long before the White Fang would be able to force their way past.

Ruby cursed under her breath as she fended off a pair of masked Faunus. She stole a glance to the side to assess her teammates.

They didn't look very good.

Blake's clothes had been splattered with blood, and Ruby couldn't tell how much of it was hers. It was clear the enemy had known about Weiss' purpose and how much of a disadvantage it put the White Fang in, so many had tried to attack the heiress.

And all of them thus far had been met with Blake's sword instead.

The Faunus girl was on her last legs, though, that much was clear. This fighting had been going nonstop for a while now, and she needed a moment to rest.

Weiss was much the same. Although she hadn't been majorly wounded in a physical sense, her mental state was deteriorating. She was using too many glyphs too often, and mostly various glyphs all at once for different purposes. She was getting weak very quickly, and her exertion was just as dangerous as it might've been if she were bleeding out.

And Ruby wasn't invincible either, no matter how badly she might like to think she was. Her arms were sore from swinging Crescent Rose, her legs heavy from all the running. She'd been grazed by a few blades and bullets when Weiss had needed to focus her defensive glyphs on other people.

They wouldn't last like this for much longer.

And as if on cue to make things worse, Emerald and Mercury reappeared to antagonize them further.

Ruby could feel herself stepping back more and more, retreating rather than advancing. Her friends were too close by for her to use any kind of all-encompassing attacks, and she was too exhausted now to do anything more than simply block and dodge.

Now Jaune was limping, Ren only had one of his guns, and Nora could barely hold up her hammer anymore.

Ruby grunted in a mixture of anger and frustration.

"Crap..."

The next second, Emerald was upon her again. Only her quick reflexes spared Ruby a slash to the arm, and she twisted her body to dodge by mere inches. Panting, she moved aside, quickly wiping the sweat out of her eyes. Emerald was laughing loudly.

"Damn, you don't look so good, Red. Maybe I should put you out of your misery, huh?"

Ruby stumbled, forced to lean her weight against Crescent Rose. But Emerald wasn't giving her a second to rest. She lunged, and Ruby didn't have time to react or block it. All she could do was cry out and hope for the best.

"Zwei!"

Her voice cracked, but her plea didn't go unheeded. Seconds later, just before Emerald's blades could touch her, a furious snarl ripped through the battle.

Zwei jumped at Emerald's back, snapping his jaws at her hair and yanking her backward and away from his owner. She screamed a string of curses at the sudden attack, trying to reach behind herself to slash at him, but to no avail.

It gave Ruby the minute she needed to catch her breath. But as Emerald struggled to free herself from the dog's grip, it was clear that Ruby wasn't the only one with backup.

With a vehement hiss, Emerald shouted out for her own ambush attacker.

"Merc! Kill her! Kill this bitch!"

Ruby had been so focused on Emerald that she hadn't had the time to turn around. She could hear Mercury's shout as he came up behind her, and Ruby could only close her eyes and wait for a shredding impact.

But it never came.

Instead, a familiar shout echoed around the hallways. Mercury's attack was intercepted, and rather than a rush of pain at her back, now Ruby felt heat. She whipped around with a cry of relief.

"Yang!"

Her sister turned and gave her a wink.

"Glad to be of service," she said, throwing another punch.

Ruby slid in close and pressed her back to Yang's so they could fend off more of their attackers.

"What about your wound?"

"It was nothin'," Yang reassured. "Not deep, just long. I persuaded the nurse to let me come back to fight. I've still got plenty of juice left in me."

"Boy, am I glad to hear it."

For the next few minutes, the two sisters covered each other's backs, which allowed Weiss to focus her shields and barrier glyphs on the others. But Ruby could see that the bluish-white circles were popping up less and less frequently, and in fewer numbers.

Blake was just barely holding her ground, and Jaune had fallen back to help her. Pyrrha was fighting without thought now, while Ren and Nora had to tag-team a single opponent.

They were the only ones left on Beacon's side now. And it was clear that none of them were going to last much longer.

Even though Yang had been a welcome reinforcement, she was already wounded and tired, and it wasn't long before she was struggling as well. Even Zwei - who reappeared several times to trip or bite their opponents - wasn't as quick as he had been an hour ago.

Ruby slashed at another White Fang member, then staggered to where her sister's back could support her a bit.

"Yang..." she wheezed. "We can't... keep this up... we've gotta retreat."

Her sister growled and threw another searing punch, but she didn't argue or deny that her sister was speaking the truth.

Ruby spotted Emerald and Mercury again across the fray, both charging Pyrrha at once. Weiss could only send out one glyph to fend off Emerald, but Mercury ended up landing a hit directly on the amazon's back, causing her to cry out.

As much as she hated to, Ruby gathered her breath and prepared to give the order to fall back. She wasn't about to let her friends die here.

But before she could find the words, Emerald beat her to it.

"Formation B!" she shouted.

Instantly, the remaining White Fang members all jumped back from their opponents and drew out something from their pockets. Emerald and Mercury held similar objects in each hand. Without wasting a second, they all tossed the items toward the Beacon students.

It was all Yang could do to shout "Get back!" and grab her sister's hood to pull her away. Blake hurried to Weiss' side, and the heiress put up a one-glyph repulsion barrier for them. JNPR managed to retreat back to the walls where they slumped against one another for support.

No sooner had they all fallen back when the grenades hit the tiled floors. However, there were no sparks or explosions. Rather than fire, the grenades exploded into smoke.

Instantly, thick, grey fog clogged the air, making it almost impossible to see more than a foot in front of them. Still, it was a bit of a relief that the walls hadn't come crumbling down around them. Not yet, at least.

Even so, they weren't taking any chances.

Yang kept herself in front of Ruby, glaring defiantly into the haze of smoke. Zwei stood at their feet, ears perked tall and nose high as he tried to sniff out the scents of the enemies.

Everything had gone from hectic chaos and shouting to nearly utter silence in a matter of seconds. The Academy's alarms were still blaring, interrupting the quiet every other second.

But the White Fang almost seemed to have disappeared.

The students took a few seconds to catch their breath, activating their aura to start healing the worst of the wounds. Yang still had that gash in her side from earlier, but that wasn't what was slowing her down right now.

"The hell's going on?" she barked, refusing to move from this spot. With the limited visibility, she wasn't taking any risks, nor was she going to allow Ruby to. Her little sister moved up a step, just so she might stand beside Yang.

"I don't know. Are they retreating?"

"Those guys? Hell no. As much as I hate to admit it, they were winning..." Yang muttered. "And why wouldn't they have used actual bombs? I'm sure there's plenty of 'em in their hideout, so why'd they just use smoke? And it's not even noxious gas. The hell are they up to?"

"Maybe they decided to try another route? They figured this way was too much trouble with all of us here."

"Something tells me that might be a bit too easy..."

As the sisters speculated quietly, they kept their senses alert. The others were all gradually starting to fall back, hoping to get a moment of rest.

But the second they moved, something else did as well.

Suddenly, Zwei let out a loud bark, and at the same time, Blake's warning cut through the fog.

"Pyrrha, left!"

The crimson-haired girl was surprised by the sudden call of her name, but she wasn't about to ignore the warnings from both a keen Faunus student and an animal companion. Without thinking, she dodged to her left, shoving Jaune a few feet back in the process.

Not a second later, a black arrow whizzed through the air right where she'd stood, slicing a few strands of her hair. The arrow embedded itself into the floor, only having missed its target by mere inches.

Pyrrha and the rest of her team were wide-eyed in horror, though it was Yang who growled the next comment.

"Bastards. They're shooting at us from somewhere, like its some kinda sport..."

But Ruby had seen those arrows before. Infused with Dust and outlined in crimson like flame. There was only one person holding that bow, wherever she was.

"Oh geez..." she mumbled.

Quickly, Ruby glanced around at the other seven students gathered there. They were all injured in one way or another, and with this fog, no one could tell where they were in relation to the building or hallways. She could barely see Weiss and Blake, and Nora and Ren were mere figures in the haze.

All eyes went to the direction from which the first arrow had been shot. Wherever she was, Cinder was ground level with the rest of them, stalking around the perimeter of where they were gathered.

Slowly, Ruby retracted Crescent Rose so it wouldn't be as easy to see her position. Yang clenched her fists and pulled Ruby a bit closer towards her.

"Shit. We gotta-"

"Yang!" Blake's panicked shout cut the blonde off mid-sentence. Yang reacted just in time to push Ruby aside and dodge another arrow. This one had come from the same direction as the first, indicating the shooter was in front of them, driving them back.

A hot steam rose up from the blade that would've pierced Yang through had it struck its target. Frazzled, Yang swallowed a bit as she hissed to her sister.

"Ruby, we've gotta retreat. We've gotta get out of this fog, or clear it somehow."

Ruby flashed her gaze all around them, but the fog seemed unending.

"We can't," she mumbled. "If we move, she'll fire at us. Plus, people are wounded. They won't be able to go quickly enough. They'll be sitting ducks."

"We're sitting ducks right _now_ , Ruby!"

"Not if we don't move quickly," she said. "Movement disrupts the fog and tells her where we are exactly. This is a game for her. She wants to scare us."

"Well, she's doing a damn good job..."

The alarms continued to blare, and that didn't help any of their hearing. Humans couldn't discern the sounds of the arrows, so they relied entirely upon Blake and Zwei.

The dog seemed to be an ounce more perceptive. At the sound of the next arrow, he barked a second before Blake shouted out to Ren. He only just managed to avoid it, though.

Ruby knew they wouldn't last long like this. They'd need to retreat, but they'd need to do it slowly.

The others seemed to take the hint as well. Gradually, they moved back the way they'd come, stepping only once or twice per minute.

Each second was agonizing, another potential instant where one of them could be shot down. They didn't speak either, unless it was Blake giving a warning.

However, all of her shouts were giving away her position, and the next arrow came for her. She flinched when she heard the sound headed her way, but if she dodged, it would hit Weiss behind her. There was no time to move-

Blake flinched and prepared for the impact. But it never came.

At the last second, Weiss managed to form a glyph in front of the Faunus girl, deflecting the arrow entirely. The two girls shared a silent conversation.

From then on, as they inched back step by step, Blake didn't shout her warnings anymore. She whispered them to Weiss, who then aimed a defensive glyph at whomever was being targeted at the moment. Exhausted as she was, though, she could only put up one at a time.

She managed to shield all of team JNPR at least once, and then herself and Blake.

By this point, the students had backed to the edge of the fog. Ruby was about to give the signal for them all to bolt and run as quickly as possible around the nearest corner.

Weiss was preparing for that order as well, intent to put up one last glyph behind them all when they turned their backs.

But as Blake whispered her next warning, Weiss' breath hitched. She collapsed to her knees, head spinning as the physical exertion of overusing her abilities finally took its toll. Panting, she sputtered apologies to Blake, who fretfully crouched down beside her.

"B-Blake-" Weiss gasped. "I can't- a-anymore-"

Blake cursed under her breath and shouted as the next arrow flew.

"Jaune, move!"

Judging by the yelp of surprise and a grunt that was undoubtedly Pyrrha's, the blond boy avoided certain death this time around. But with Weiss down now, Blake knew their luck wouldn't hold out much longer.

She kept an arm around the heiress' back and struggled to help her back to her feet. They staggered, and Weiss was as good as unconscious at this point. Blake shot a glance through the fog to her partner. Yang caught her eye and passed on the message to Ruby.

"Weiss is out. We gotta move, Ruby."

The brunette grimaced and bit her lip. If they all rushed out at once, perhaps they'd get lucky.

"Okay," she murmured. "We'll-"

But she stopped when Zwei suddenly took off into the fog. He sent out a flurry of barks and yips, clearly trying to create a distraction. It was their only chance.

"Now or never!" Yang shouted. "Go, go!"

She pushed Ruby first, shielding her sister with her own back. Footsteps sounded behind them, telling them JNPR was close behind.

More arrows shot by. One grazed Pyrrha's shoulder, another clipped Blake's leg. With a cry of pain, the Faunus girl stumbled, and Weiss went down with her. Yang was closest, and she pushed Ruby ahead as she fell back to help them. Ruby cried out to her teammates in alarm, the fog preventing her from seeing them now.

"Yang! Blake! Weiss!"

But in the anxious moment, she'd forgotten that sound would give away her position. As she stumbled forward in the haze, Ruby came face to face with an all-too familiar archer.

Cinder was there, a malicious, familiar shadow amidst the fog, amber eyes burning with predatory wrath. Her arm was pulled back behind the bow, her next arrow aimed directly at the girl's chest. There were several yards between them, plenty of space for an arrow to pick up fatal momentum.

Ruby's blood ran cold despite the fire in her adversary's eyes. She couldn't move.

Cinder took a step closer, her grip on the weapon firm and certain. Her voice was low and hypnotic against the blaring sirens.

"Why, hello, Ruby," she hummed. "It's been an awfully long while. But I'm afraid this will be the last time we see each other. Forever."

There was no time to react, no glyphs being placed in front of her, no shields to deflect it.

She could only close her eyes.

But just a second before the string of the bow twanged, another much more familiar sound met her ears.

"Arf!"

Ruby gasped as she heard the patter of tiny paws. She didn't know where he was now, but he was close by.

"Zwei!"

A rush of air passed her, hot and deadly as the arrow was released.

It missed her by an eyelash.

And when she realized why, Ruby was horror-stricken.

Zwei was before her now, his jaws clamped firmly into Cinder's ankle. Blood welled out around his teeth and he snarled viciously.

The woman screamed, a raging shriek that her aim had been thwarted because of this.

"Vermin!" she hissed. She slammed her red shoe down, her heel finding purchase in one of Zwei's front paws. He yelped and released his grip on her leg, but not before she kicked him off with a blow to the muzzle.

Ruby screamed and stumbled forward.

"No! Zwei-!"

But Cinder was faster.

And she was _furious_.

She drew her final arrow from behind her back, but didn't even bother with the bow. With her heel pressed down on his stomach, Cinder pinned Zwei to the floor.

Then, with inhuman cruelty and uncaring eyes, she raised the arrow-

-and brought it down on top of him, piercing him through with a stream of red.

He howled.

And even the blaring alarms were now drowned out by Ruby's anguished scream:

" _ZWEI!_ "

. . .

. .

.

* * *

 **A/N: You can choose which ending you want to go with from here. Choose wisely.**


	2. Bad End

**This was the original ending idea given to me by ChuckleBrotherz. He'd asked for the bad end, so I guess you can say this is the "original" ending.**

* * *

Bad End

" _NO!_ "

The echo of Ruby's distraught voice seemed to shake the entire school.

But right now, the rest of the school faded from her senses.

Now, there was only her precious little doggie being run through until the floor was soaked with red.

And that was all Ruby could see.

Red.

Her vision was hazed over with it – the blood, her own scythe...

And then there was Cinder.

Her red shoes, red dress, red smile.

She enjoyed Zwei's pain.

She enjoyed the feeling of stabbing him.

She enjoyed watching the life drain from his eyes.

Like a panther toying with her prey, Cinder tightened her grip on the arrow and began to pull it.

Ruby screamed again.

"NO! If you pull it out, he'll bleed to death!"

Cinder turned an uncaring gaze upon her.

"Now wouldn't _that_ be a shame..."

Her hand twitched again.

Ruby froze in place, tears already spilling down her face.

"No..." she whimpered. "N-No, _please_ -!"

But Cinder's mind was already made up.

She braced her heel on Zwei's little belly, and Ruby heard him yelp. She screamed one last time for mercy, but Cinder was deaf to such pleas.

With a tug, she tore the arrow free.

Zwei howled in agony as a stream of blood gushed from the wound, spilling out onto the white tiled floor without stopping.

Ruby's voice almost seemed to shatter the building.

" _ **NO!**_ "

Heat and rage twisted the blood inside of her, and it took control. She extended Crescent Rose to its fullest form and charged forward at her greatest speed, swinging wildly at Cinder.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she screeched. " _GET AWAY!_ "

At that point, even Cinder must have realized she'd made a grave mistake in attacking this dog. Ruby wasn't an innocent child any longer. She would kill if she had to.

And now she had to.

The woman had no choice but to heed Ruby's warning and jump back.

But she was met with an all-too familiar resistance.

Ruby could see it too, the faint outline of a blue circle pinning Cinder in place for the moment. Through the smoke, she could see Weiss, staggering and breathless. But her fingers were pointed directly at Cinder as the heiress concentrated to maintain the thin, glitchy circle.

And her eyes were cold fury.

There were curses spat from the woman's mouth, then a furious order to her men.

"Kill them!"

At her command, the smoke came alive once more. The White Fang members as well as Mercury and Emerald reappeared, more ferocious than ever. They charged at Ruby, giving her no choice but to engage them.

"No!" she screamed. "Get _away!_ "

She did her best to cut a path through them to reach Zwei, terrified that he might get trampled in the chaos. Weiss held Cinder in place for as long as possible, until Emerald slunk up from behind and took aim with her blades.

However, just before she could strike Weiss, the smoke whirled as Blake appeared, blocking the blow intended for her teammate. She shoved Emerald back into Yang's chest, and the blonde wasted no time in swinging at her.

The girl hissed and retreated into the smoke, spouting curses behind herself.

By that time, Weiss' glyph was fading quickly. When the others weren't attending to her, a White Fang member managed to deal Weiss a devastating blow to her back, sending her reeling to the ground.

The glyph holding Cinder vanished.

But before she could hope to escape, her legs were suddenly bound by black string.

Blake darted around the woman, disturbing the smoke as she bound her with Gambol Shroud's ribbon.

"You're not getting away!" Blake growled. "Not this time!"

Cinder snorted.

"We'll see about that!"

With a furious shout, Blake yanked on her end of the ribbon. Cinder was promptly unbalanced, left spiraling for a brief instance.

It was just long enough.

Yang rushed her, fists raised and at the ready. With a raging cry she threw her punch with perfect aim.

It connected, and their adversary of many years was sent flying across the building, until a dull collision was heard.

At that point, the fighting stopped, and the assailants who were able rushed to recover their leader.

They didn't come back after that.

Panting, Yang was still steaming with anger, her eyes crimson.

But that soon started to fade once she dropped her gaze down to Weiss, lying still on the floor. Yang knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder gently.

"Hey... princess? You alright?"

The response was a feeble moan, but it was better than nothing. Yang slipped an arm around the girl and helped her sit up, tucking Weiss against her side and coaxing her to catch her breath.

Blake watched them for a moment before casting her gaze around to seek their leader.

When she found her, Blake's heart nearly stopped.

A small figure stood amidst the smoke, covered in red. Her cape, her clothes, her weapon, her shoes... if it wasn't embroidered on, it had been splattered.

Even from this distance, Blake could hear the little broken phrases falling from her lips.

"No... n-no no no... _please_..."

There was a loud clatter as she dropped her scythe, leaving it behind as she limped toward something more important.

Blake's voice tangled in her throat as she caught sight of him.

Zwei was lying motionless at the source of a river of red. The old wound in his belly had been torn anew.

Blake's heart began to pound even harder and more painfully than it had even during the heat of the battle.

Helplessly, she dropped her gaze back to her partner.

Yang had looked up at the sound of Crescent Rose being discarded, and she could see her little sister now, too.

Blake's tears were already falling, and a sob from her had Yang looking up. Her lavender eyes were wrought with questions, fear, and pain. Blake merely shook her head.

"Yang..."

Blake choked and put a hand to her mouth, then looked away. Her partner blinked, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes as well.

"No..." she mumbled. "No-"

She slipped away from Weiss' side, and Blake knelt down to take her place there.

Yang stumbled to her feet, but her legs were shaking so badly that she fell several times before reaching her little sister.

What she found there horrified her.

"Oh, no..."

Yang's voice was barely audible, nothing more than a wisp of air. She shook her head, unable to tear her gaze away from Zwei's mangled body. Her legs shook uncontrollably until they gave out.

Yang fell to her knees, staining her clothes in her beloved dog's lifeblood.

Ruby was close beside her, but she didn't even look at Yang. She could only see Zwei.

"Zwei..." she rasped. "No... no you... you can't... you _can't_..." She crawled forward on her hands and knees, her skirt and cape dragging through the puddle of blood, staining them darker red. She reached out with hands that trembled violently, and her fingertips brushed his matted fur.

But a shaking hand stopped her.

Yang was there, head bowed until the tips of her hair caught in the crimson below. She didn't look at Ruby, but merely held her hand, preventing her from touching Zwei.

"Don't..." she whispered. "Ruby, please-"

"N-No!" Ruby shrieked. "He's not dead, Yang! He can't be dead! Zwei!"

In all their years together at Beacon, Ruby had never lost a friend. Not like this.

To Yang, her little sister was just the same as she'd always been when it came to heartbreak and sorrow. She'd scream and cry and deny it all.

Yang had always dreaded the day when Ruby would be forced to watch someone she loved slip away. She'd just never imagined it would be like this.

They'd had Zwei since he was a puppy, since their father had brought him home one stormy night and the girls had squealed and ran around and jumped up happily and clapped and hugged him.

Zwei had been there for as long as Ruby could remember. It wasn't right that she had to say goodbye. Not now. Not like this.

"No..." she was still saying. "No... _no_ -"

"Ruby-"

"NO!" she screamed again. She went so far as to shove Yang away, refusing her contact altogether.

Yang wasn't sure if that rejection or seeing Zwei like this hurt her more. She bowed her head and cried softly.

But Ruby was still reaching out for the dog. When her fingertips touched his fur, it was hot with blood.

But she froze when she felt a small ripple of movement.

Ruby gasped and looked to Zwei's muzzle. It was faint, but his tongue was still moving as he tried to pant for breath.

Her heart leapt to her throat.

"He's alive!" Without wasting a second, she began to emit her aura onto him. She shot a glance at Yang and beckoned her as well. "Yang, come on! We can save him!"

But Yang knew.

She just knew.

"Ruby..." she sniffed. "Ruby, he's... he's lost too much blood-"

"It doesn't matter!" she shrieked. "He's alive! We can save him!"

"Ruby-"

"Yang, just shut up! Shut up and help me!"

"It's cruel, Ruby!" Yang shouted back. "You're prolonging it! He'll suffer more!"

"No! I can save him!"

"Ruby-!"

This time, Yang didn't give her an option. She reached out and pulled Ruby away from the dog and into her arms. Ruby thrashed and tried to shove her away, but Yang was stronger. Empowered by the unwillingness to let her little sister inflict such pain on Zwei and on herself, Yang was stronger.

She clung tightly to Ruby's back and kept her close, though she wasn't immune to the pain of Ruby's punches.

"Yang! _Yang!_ " she shouted. "Let me go! I can still save him! Damn it, Yang!"

But the blonde didn't falter. She held tightly to Ruby, welcoming the pain of her blows. She deserved such punishment when she'd allowed this to happen, and she wasn't even making an effort to save Zwei.

But it would've been a pretty lie to make an attempt.

It was time for her baby sister to face the awful truth of reality in the worst way.

The sisters continued to struggle and sob against one another, their legs soaked in their little dog's blood.

By that point, Blake had staggered over with Weiss and the two collapsed softly to their knees beside their partners. Blake coaxed Yang back, and Weiss held onto Ruby.

The leader still struggled, though, and she accidentally sent an elbow into her partner's ribs. Weiss gasped and fell sideways, just barely managing to support herself with one hand. That seemed to be what snapped Ruby out of it.

"Weiss? I-I'm sorry..." She reached out, but didn't touch her friend, scared that she'd hurt her more even after all she'd been through in the recent weeks.

But the heiress was shaking her head, and now Ruby could see that she was crying as well.

They all were.

And none of them could look at him.

Even Weiss and Blake had loved him for four years. Considering all the things they'd done together in that amount of time, it felt like much longer.

None of them could bear to see him go.

As Ruby recoiled her hands, she allowed herself to be pulled into Weiss' embrace now.

"It was me..." she rasped. "He died saving me. He saved me... It's my-"

"Hush..." Weiss croaked. "Ruby, hush."

She petted through the girl's hair slowly, rubbing all up and down her back. She kissed her hair with quivering lips, and held Ruby close.

Blake did the same for Yang, pulling her in and letting her bury her face in Blake's chest.

Yang's entire body shook with the effort she was putting into swallow the sobs. She bit into the material of Blake's shirt to quiet herself as best she could. But when that wasn't enough, her teeth sunk into her own lip and let it bleed.

Blake couldn't even muster up the strength to purr to make her feel better. She was hollow. She knew Yang was, too.

But her partner felt so heavy, like deadweight. Blake was too weak from the fight and too overwhelmed by her own grief now that she could hardly hold Yang up.

Had Yang not been supporting a bit of Blake's weight as well, they both would've swayed and collapsed.

Ruby and Weiss were no better off.

The brunette was shaking, gulping down air past the aching lump in her throat. Her tears fell freely and seeped into Weiss' clothes while her fingers struggled to find a grip on her partner's back.

And Weiss was in pain, too. Ruby could tell her partner was trying to hide it, but it was no use, not like this. As she pressed herself close, she could hear it in the way Weiss' breath kept hitching, in the way her heart was beating rapidly against her chest.

It hurt.

All of them hurt.

But not as much as he did.

For a moment, they simply cried, clinging to one another as though for dear life, unable to stop the tears or the shaking.

It was an impossibly small sound that had them all looking up.

A tiny whine escaped Zwei's jaws, and a flicker of motion showed his eyes opening.

They didn't miss it.

Ruby pulled away from Weiss and went to her dog.

None of them had expected him to still be alive at this point. But it was clear that it wouldn't be this way for very much longer.

He'd been storing up his energy all this time, enough to simply make a sound and open his eyes to get their attention.

Ruby fumbled for words as her team crowded around her, each of them with a hand on her back or her shoulders to support her. She looked down at him – her beloved puppy – and her heart broke all over again.

His innocent eyes looked up into hers, and it was more than she could take. She turned away and collapsed into Yang's arms, sobbing full force.

The others watched as a shudder ran through his body, and Zwei wheezed out a whine. A trickle of blood followed it between his teeth.

Yang choked, and Weiss had to look away. But Blake reached forward.

Gently, she touched his belly and unlocked her aura.

At first, Yang almost spoke up to have her stop, but she could see what Blake was trying to do.

She wasn't trying to save him. She knew it wouldn't work. She was merely trying to keep him here a moment longer.

Because he wanted to say goodbye.

Blake was closest to him, so she found his gaze and held it. He moved his head ever so slightly, and Blake understood the cue.

With her free hand, she guided it towards his nose.

Zwei reached out his tongue and gave a weak lick to the back of her hand.

Blake shook her head and lost herself to the unimaginable grief.

" _I'm so sorry..._ "

Initially, she'd hated Zwei, or at the very least had wanted nothing whatsoever to do with him. She'd avoided him at all costs, as much as possible.

But over time, he'd gotten closer to her.

Ever since the day she'd fallen ill and he had been the one to fetch her medicine, keep her company, and curl up beside her. He'd valiantly gone into battle with her, and had nearly lost his life back then at the claws of an Ursa in an effort to shield Blake.

They'd made it through all of that and so much more.

And now it had come to this.

It wasn't right.

This shouldn't have been how it ended.

He should have lived a long, healthy life together with the rest of them.

He should have played more games of fetch with them all.

He should have eaten more good food, grown older, and passed away peacefully in a long nap.

Not like this...

Blake couldn't stop her voice from slipping out.

"I'm sorry-"

It was followed by a wail of her own, a loud, broken sound she hadn't let slip in over a decade.

Zwei merely nudged her hand with his nose, and all she'd never been blamed for was forgiven.

Blake cried harder, hunching forward as she tried to keep her aura flowing.

A small hand on her back told her that Weiss was taking her turn now.

The heiress kept one hand on Blake's back, rubbing softly. The other hand was lowered toward Zwei's nose.

Weiss didn't bother wiping her tears. But she did her best to smile for him.

He licked her hand as well.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For... sharing your life with us."

Whenever she'd been overly stressed about something – be it an exam, a mission, or even drama with her family – Zwei had always been there at her feet to give a playful bark.

The nights he'd curled up at her hip had been some of the most peaceful, as though he'd fought off nightmares somehow.

And it wasn't just Weiss he'd always made smile. It was all of them, and their joy had brought Weiss the same results.

Zwei had done countless times what Weiss couldn't always do on her own.

He'd made them smile.

He'd made them happy.

And for that she was grateful.

She ran her hand over his head, scratching lightly, just like he'd always loved. Zwei closed his eyes in a moment of bliss and seemed to smile back at her.

Weiss lingered for a moment, until her heart was too pained to stay any longer. She turned away, wrapped her arms around Blake, and sobbed softly into the Faunus girl's shoulder.

By that point, Yang had resolved herself as best as she ever would.

She kept Ruby in her arms and slid a bit closer, until she could reach out one arm and give Zwei her fingers. He didn't need to sniff them to know who it was.

Zwei looked up at her and blinked, then happily licked her hand without hesitation. Yang bit back a curse and looked up at the ceiling, but the tears never stopped.

Ultimately, she bowed her head once more and looked at him. She swallowed thickly and ran her knuckles lightly along Zwei's muzzle.

"I'm gonna miss ya, buddy..."

Always.

She'd never stop missing him for as long as she lived.

She'd never forget all the fond memories of him, playing together with Ruby and herself and their father.

The day TaiYang had sent Zwei to Beacon with them to look after, Yang bet her father never would have guessed their little corgi would work his way up to be crowned the first ever animal companion there at Beacon. He'd paved the path for a new generation of fighters, and created a new style of training.

Zwei's work here was over now, cut short all too soon.

Another shudder went through his little body, and a glance at Blake told Yang that there wasn't much time left. Not even her partner's aura was going to suffice in keeping him alive for much longer.

Gently – more gently than ever before – Yang nudged Ruby toward their beloved dog.

Ruby tried to cling to her.

She didn't want to see.

But Yang kissed her forehead and urged her.

"Come on, Ruby. You gotta... say goodbye."

"No, Yang, n-no," she begged. "I-I _can't_ -"

Yang wiped her arm over her eyes, then used her fingers to wipe her sister's tears.

"Then at least let him."

Gingerly, she turned her little sister toward the friend who had been beside them for so many years. Ruby whimpered, but she couldn't look away.

His eyes were fixed on hers in a silent plea.

She couldn't refuse him. Since day one all the way up until the end now, that had always been the case.

Ruby reached out to him, but her vision was so badly blurred by the stinging tears that her hand wasn't close enough to his nose. So Yang steadied her arm as best she could and helped guide Ruby's hand.

Zwei meekly reached out his tongue, but he wasn't strong enough to get to her. He gave a weak little bark, one that broke off halfway through as more blood gurgled in his throat.

Ruby bit back another sob as she felt Yang nudged her.

This was it.

Zwei's last moment.

Ruby couldn't think properly.

There was... _so much,_ she needed to say to him.

 _Too_ much.

She needed to make him understand how much she loved him.

But there wasn't any time left.

All she could do was let her tears fall and seep into his fur.

"Zwei..." she whispered. "Zwe...i... my good boy... I love you..." She gulped down a needy breath as another sob fought its way out. Ruby coughed on it and expelled more of her tears in hopes she could see him clearly just one last time.

"I love you..." she said again, praying that he heard, that he understood.

Ruby felt a tiny lick on the back of her hand, but it only traveled halfway before it came to a stop and never finished.

Her voice rose into a high-pitched wail.

"Goodbye-"

And then it was over.

Nearly ten years of fun, friendship, and love.

All over.

Ruby sent out one last desperate scream in hopes that it could catch his spirit.

"Wait for me-! I know you will!"

One day she'd be with him again.

It wouldn't be anytime soon.

But one day.

With that, Ruby turned away from his lifeless body and cried.

Yang pulled her in and spewed countless words to her, but four in particular repeated more than others.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Ruby..."

Aside from fragments of her big sister's name, Ruby couldn't form words any longer. She merely sobbed, screamed, and whimpered freely into Yang's shirt with no signs of stopping.

Weiss had taken both of Blake's hands away from the little body of Zwei. The flow of aura stopped altogether, and Blake slumped into her arms. The heiress held her close and wept into Blake's hair, just as the Faunus girl sobbed into Weiss' chest.

Every beat of their heavy hearts was a throb of pain, another second they could have been living together with Zwei.

But now it was over.

It was too late.

And things would never be the same.

Zwei would never move again.

Never scamper about their dorm room again.

Never play fetch with them in the field again.

Never give that little burp after gobbling up his food again.

Never go into battle with them again.

Never curl up with them at night again.

It was all over.

The four broken girls continued to cry with no end in sight.

Even long after the alarms had been shut off, they cried.

Even after their colleagues and professors found them, they cried.

Even when they fell unconscious from the exhaustion, they cried.

Ruby managed to stay awake, just long enough to see people crowding around Zwei's body.

They picked him up and took him away.

And that was the last she ever saw of him.

* * *

She didn't want to get out of bed.

Even when her whole team gathered gently around her with soft, careful hands and sympathetic eyes, Ruby didn't want to get up.

It had been two days since then, since the attack, and Ozpin had called for a school-wide assembly this afternoon.

But all Ruby wanted to do was curl up on her pillow and sleep. She'd cried herself to sleep the past two nights and hadn't gotten a bit of rest, not without Zwei there to curl up with her.

By now, the tears had run dry, and she was just a hollow shell.

Even so, her teammates urged her. Yang crouched on the floor beside her little sister's face and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby? If you don't feel up for it, then you can stay here, alright? I'll hang back with you. Weiss and Blake can bring us back all the announcements and stuff, right?" She looked up to her partner and the heiress, and the two nodded solemnly. Still, they seemed hesitant.

"Ruby..." Weiss murmured. "Are you sure you... don't want to come? I know it's hard..." She trailed off, not wanting to push her grieving friend. Blake stepped in and put on hand on Weiss' shoulder as she addressed their leader.

"Either way, just feel better soon."

The Faunus girl then reached down to tap Yang's shoulder, sending her silent promises to be attentive during the assembly in her partner's place. The blonde gave a weak smile and nodded her gratitude.

"You guys take it slow," she said to the other pair. "You're still healing. Make sure the crowds don't jostle you or nothin'."

"We'll be fine," Blake assured her. She extended one arm towards Weiss – they both still needed a bit of support while walking.

As the heiress slipped in beside the Faunus girl, she shot Yang a pleading glance:

 _Please take care of her_.

The blonde nodded and shifted to sit down cross-legged on the floor beside her sister's bed. She gave a wave and wished the other two good luck.

But just before Blake and Weiss could begin hobbling across the room, the creaking of a mattress made them freeze and turn back around.

"No..." a small voice mumbled. "Hold on..."

Yang stood slowly as Ruby pushed herself up from the bed. She reached down a bit to help her sister turn around to face her team.

"Ruby?" she asked. "Do you need something?"

Of course there was one clear answer to that question, but the one thing Ruby needed right now was no longer here.

The brunette shook her head, keeping her gaze lowered into her lap. Her voice was tired and raspy as she spoke, but her team listened intently.

"Zwei..." She began, then sighed, then tried again. "He would... he'd want me to go. He wouldn't want me to lie around here all day and be sad. I'll come."

Her words both lifted and pained the others' hearts. They winced, but smiled, and all moved closer to their leader's bed. Yang was closest to her, and therefore she was the first to pull Ruby into her arms.

"I'm so proud of you, sis. Zwei is, too. You're a tough cookie."

Normally, such a comment would elicit a joke about desserts from her sweet-toothed sister. But now, it was as though Ruby hadn't heard her at all.

Her hands curled tentatively around Yang's back, a frail contrast to her sister's stronger, firmer grip. Ruby sighed and ducked her face into her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent.

"Yang..." she rasped. "A few days ago... after it happened... I..." She started to cry again, but the words kept tumbling out. "I-I was so upset... I yelled at you a-and I hit you and I'm so-"

"Hey, hey..." Yang hushed her, petting long, soothing strokes of her hands all up and down Ruby's back. "Shhh... easy," Yang murmured. "You don't have to apologize for anything, y'hear me? Don't worry about it. You're forgiven, okay? I love you, Ruby."

Yang kissed the side of her head and squeezed her a little tighter. She felt Ruby nod and return the embrace as hard as she could.

"Okay. Love you, Yang..."

For a moment, they stayed that way, cradling one another and crying softly. Blake and Weiss stood at the foot of the bed, also fighting back tears at the sight of their partners like this.

Like any wound, it hurt, but... at least it was beginning to heal.

A moment later, Yang pulled back and released her sister, and then it was Blake's turn to hold her. She didn't say anything, but merely pulled Ruby close and kissed her cheek.

As Blake moved away, she turned her embrace to Yang while Weiss limped toward her leader. She sighed as she hugged Ruby fiercely, doing her best to keep her resolve to no avail. She cried into Ruby's shoulder as Ruby cried into hers.

For a moment they all cried, releasing unspoken lamentations that would otherwise twist them apart from the inside.

Eventually, they were able to move back and wipe each others' tears. Ruby mumbled heartfelt thanks to all of them, and offered the first smile she'd shown in days.

They helped her up, fetched her a change of clothes, then waited for her as she changed into them.

In the meantime, the three older girls went about walking slowly around the room, picking up all of Zwei's little toys that had been scattered on the floor and beneath the beds or dressers. They collected them into a small bag that Yang held in one hand.

Ruby emerged from the bathroom dressed a few minutes later, and her team went to her side.

At last they headed out together, their collective gait somewhat slower than it'd used to be.

It was the first time of many to come when they wouldn't have the patter of tiny, excited paws following behind them.

The hallways were crowded, but oddly silent. Every word that was uttered was done so in a low, solemn tone. Almost everyone was grieving the loss of Zwei.

As team RWBY made their way to the courtyard, other students made way for them. Some offered a few words of condolences, others timidly handed sympathy cards to Ruby, and others cried.

They crossed paths with JNPR near the exit that would lead them outside the school, and even Nora was acting reserved.

Pyrrha's immediate reaction was to break down into tears, spouting apologizes as she hugged Ruby first, then moved onto the rest of them in turn. Ren and Nora offered quiet words of comfort, and Jaune made a poor attempt to hide his own tears.

The eight of them filed out together and merged with the large group that had already begun forming beneath the weak sunlight.

The two teams moved their way to the front of the crowd, and the other students willingly let them through.

At last, they could see the green grass of the courtyard where Zwei had always loved to play fetch.

Now, instead of a wide, empty field, the space was filled with mourning people.

Near the center of the field, the grass had been cut low now to reveal a small, grey marble headstone. Behind that was a larger blue tarp that concealed something yet unseen beneath it.

At the sight of his grave, Ruby felt another wave of tears swell up behind her eyes, and she ducked her face into her shoulder. Blake was closest to her now, and pulled her leader in close.

Once they'd stopped shuffling through the crowd, they could see Glynda and Ozpin already there, standing several feet in front of the little headstone. Their eyes that were typically so serious and stern were downcast now.

The gathered crowds didn't talk much above mumbles and whispers. No one seemed to have any energy.

Ruby stayed silent in her spot between Weiss and Yang and in front of Blake, occasionally leaning sideways or backward against one or the other for a bit of support.

It wasn't long after their arrival when the Headmaster called for attention at a respectful volume.

Ozpin wore a neutral expression on his face, though if you looked closely, you could tell it was closer to sadness than anything else. He raised his voice, though out here it carried easily through the somber crowd even without the assistance of a microphone.

"Dearest students," he began. "I've asked that you gather here this afternoon for a very rare occasion in Beacon's history. The first – and hopefully the last – of its kind.

"As you all know, this most recent attack was perhaps the most destructive to our campus and faculty buildings. But aside from the damages to the school itself, there was also a great deal of emotional damage to us all. This attack on our Academy resulted in the highest number of casualties ever during such an event: one."

At this point, Ruby was doing her best to keep her eyes open and trained on her trusted Headmaster. But she let slip a little sob and brought an arm to her eyes.

Almost instantly, she felt a hand around her waist, one around her shoulders, and one on her back. Her team moved closer to her and enveloped her in small, warm hugs as Ozpin went on.

"All of our senior students who engaged the attackers in battle did our school a great service at a high risk. It is at this time that I wish to formally offer my thanks to all of those students and officially recognize what you have done in the way of protecting our school and your fellows.

"And I would like to thank the extensive staff, as well as all other students who cooperated and demonstrated great courage and strength during one of Beacon's darkest hours. I thank you all.

"But unfortunately, it is not only to commend you all that I have called you all here today. As a school, we must do what is necessary to honor those who lost their lives defending us, no matter their species."

He paused for a moment to direct his gaze back to the little gravestone behind him, and all gazes followed his. Ozpin continued to speak in a steady voice.

"I'll not soon forget the first time I ever laid eyes on that exceptional dog. He was always so full of life and brought a great amount of energy to those around him. He often would sneak onto missions in the beginning-"

Here, the crowd chuckled fondly at the thought.

"But when necessary – as my colleagues tell me – he would always pull through to the best of his abilities. And what amazing abilities they were indeed.

Your Professor Oobleck would recount to me for quite some time how outstanding Zwei acted on a particular mission, and even without having seen the dog myself for longer than a few minutes, I quickly grew attached to him.

"So as you can all imagine, I wasn't surprised to hear that he'd thrown himself in front of an Ursa's claws in order to take the damage meant for Miss Belladonna. It's an incident we all know very well by now. Zwei's unflagging courage and loyalty to his teammates and his ability to always bring smiles to their faces were few of many reasons why I decided to discuss with my colleagues making animal companions and official part of Beacon's courses."

At this point, he gave a nod to a particular section of the crowd. When Ruby blinked away some of the tears and looked up, she noticed that on the far end, there was a group of familiar students.

Ruby and all of her team had trained with them quite a bit over the years. They were the ones ranging from freshmen to seniors who were skilled enough to have gotten their own animals recognized by the academy since Zwei had first opened up the path for them.

Their animals were with them now, as well. Bigger dogs stood at their master's ankles or thighs, and even some of the horses had been brought out to honor Zwei. A few highly-trained birds and mice sat on shoulders, while other students held their animals in their hands.

Those students looked especially upset, forced to think about what it might be like for one of their beloved animals to end up like their founder. Ozpin continued addressing that group for a moment.

"You all see the risks of bringing your animals into the equation now. To our deepest dismay, things do not always turn out well in the end. They must be ready to pay the ultimate price for you, just as Zwei did for his team. His family.

"However, it is essential to understand that they are not tools to be used in battle. They are not disposable by any means. And I hope that you will all continue to train in such a way where we can ensure something like this will not happen again."

There were nods all around, and many of those students hugged their animals and began to cry.

Ruby felt as though a wrench had twisted around her heart as she watched them. She wanted to hug Zwei...

At the very least, her teammates seemed to understand and they all pulled her in closer.

Ozpin went on, once more addressing the entire crowd.

"Zwei paved the way for all animal companions of Beacon Academy. He set the standards for what it means to be an exceptional asset to our students in battle. Over the years, he has fought alongside his team in many battles, and saved just as many lives on his own accord. It is because of his noble achievements and unyielding loyalty that I have had this monument constructed in his honor."

Ozpin gave a nod to Glynda, who was standing beside the gravestone. She pulled away the blue tarp to reveal a silver, three-foot statue in the form of Zwei.

In that image, Zwei stood in his prime, with his chest puffed out proudly, and a wide smile behind his lolling tongue. His mechanical front paw was raised off the ground and on display. The statue was entirely silver aside from the collar engraved around his neck, which had been painted green just like the real thing.

And there was a new addition as well.

A little green material cape had been tied around the statue's shoulders and presently billowed in the wind.

The instant Ruby caught sight of the statue, she broke down into tears once again. Yang pulled her in and cried into her sister's shoulder as well.

But it wasn't so much the sadness anymore. Rather, it was the joy of remembering him and the happy life he'd led.

As the students marveled at the statue, Ozpin went on speaking a bit about Zwei's accomplishments and recounted many stories of him. His speech went on for several more minutes.

It was then when Ruby composed herself enough to pull back from her sister and look around. Almost everyone around her was crying now. Even the professors seemed close.

Ruby's eyes traveled back to the statue beside the little headstone, where her precious doggie now rested. She felt compelled to do something.

Slowly, she began making her way towards Ozpin. Her teammates didn't question her, nor did they make an attempt to stop her. But rather, they followed her by means of support.

Seeing their approach, Ozpin dipped his head to Ruby.

"Miss Rose. Would you like to say something to Beacon?"

She inhaled slowly, then gave a decisive nod.

"Yes, sir."

"Then please, by all means." Ozpin stepped back as Ruby took his place.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang flanked her, their eyes downcast but their ears open to hear what their leader had to say.

The rest of the school looked up at Ruby with respect and sympathy and remained quiet as she gathered herself. It took her a moment, but eventually she found her voice and raised it so everyone could hear her.

"First of all..." she began. "I want to thank Headmaster Ozpin and all of our professors for preparing this really lovely memorial in Zwei's honor. It's beautiful."

She met her gaze to all of the adults gathered around, ending with Ozpin. Then, she looked back out to her fellow students.

"And I want to thank everyone here for coming to honor Zwei's memory. The truth is, he died saving me. But I know he wouldn't want me to blame myself for it. Zwei did it because he loved me. That's all there is to it."

Yang put a hand on her little sister's shoulder as she went on.

"Yang and I've had Zwei since he was a puppy, so we both know better than anyone that he lived a good life. He died a hero's death, and we'll always remember him that way.

"But I know he wouldn't want us all to be sad for too long. We should try to remember his life, not his death. Remember what Zwei gave us, accept what he would've wanted us to take away from all this, and let's... let's remember him, but let's move on."

She fell silent and couldn't stop another swell of tears from rising up. But the crowds all began to clap and voice their agreement to her words.

After a moment, Ruby led her team towards Zwei's grave and monument. She collapsed to her knees in front of the little plaque in the ground there and read the words carved in large letters:

 _ **Zwei, beloved pet, treasured companion, true hero.**_

Ruby bowed her head and let her tears fall once again.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," she mumbled. "I already do... I'll come visit e-every day... Just... have a good sleep, Zwei. You deserve it."

Weiss knelt down beside her and closed her eyes, offering her own silent prayers.

Yang knelt on Ruby's other side and offered her the little bag she'd brought along, the one she'd filled with Zwei's toys.

Yang herself pulled out Zwei's food dish and placed it before his grave, then spoke softly to him.

"I hope you're eating as much as you can up there. You deserve a big feast."

Ruby nodded in agreement and leaned into her sister's side.

Next, Weiss took out Zwei's leash from the bag and folded it neatly before placing it next to the food bowl.

"I'll miss going on walks with you," she whispered. "It'll never be the same now. I hope you've got plenty of space to play."

When she'd finished, Ruby and Yang both moved closer to embrace the heiress.

When it was Blake's turn, she didn't extract anything from the bag, however. Instead, she revealed her left wrist, where a familiar black ribbon was tied. It was the ribbon she'd once concealed her Faunus ears with.

Now, for the first time since she'd put it around her arm, she pulled it free.

It was something very precious to her that symbolized a very fragile time in her life. That ribbon had kept her safe from harm many times. It felt only right to give it up for Zwei now.

"I hope it keeps you safe on the other side," she murmured.

She tied the ribbon around the statue of Zwei, around his lifted paw.

When she was finished, Yang pulled her partner into the small group hug.

At last, Ruby reached her hand into the bag and took out an object many of the gathered students were familiar with; they'd often see her playing fetch with Zwei and his favorite red ball.

Now, she laid that ball at the center of his gravestone in the grass.

"I hope there are a lot of toys for you up there," she chuckled. Her smile trembled and soon wavered as more tears rushed down. "I'll... never forget you," she promised.

For a moment, the entire crowd was silent, aside from a few gentle sobs. A warm breeze passed through, lightly brushing against them all in turn.

At last, team RWBY stood together, leaving behind all of their little gifts for Zwei.

As they moved away from his grave, other students slowly began lining up to take their turns there. Some offered little cards, some offered prayers, some offered toys or photos.

Ruby and the others all stood back a little ways and witnessed just how many people loved their little dog. Despite her tears, Ruby did her best to keep smiling. They all did.

It wasn't long before Ozpin appeared again and approached them. The girls didn't even bother wiping their tears this time, but merely looked up to him expectantly. The man stopped in front of them and heaved a sigh.

"I'm sure you girls can understand that I don't know exactly what to say. There is never anything we can say in the face of such a devastating loss that will make everything better. But I offer you my deepest condolences on behalf of Beacon and on my own behalf. And I hope you can all take the proper time to recover from this ordeal.

"That's why I've decided to close the Academy for one week starting tomorrow. I want to let my students recuperate and have repairs done to the school. I'll make the school-wide announcement this evening.

"But for now I just wanted you girls to know how grateful I am to Zwei for the deeds he has fulfilled in his time here with us at Beacon Academy. He taught us many things over the years alongside you girls, and it pains me that you won't be able to graduate with him at your side...

"But I hope you can continue to work hard in his honor and make the world we live in a safer place for us all. I shall do my part in commemorating him and by honoring him as the founder of Beacon's animal companion program. He'll never be forgotten, and I can assure you of that."

Weiss, Blake, and Yang all dipped their heads to him, murmuring quiet, grateful words. But Ruby was too choked-up to speak, and too tired to express herself in any other way than the one she knew best.

So she ran forward and threw her arms around her Headmaster, sobbing into his vest. The man merely smiled sadly and put a hand to her shoulder.

"Now then, Ruby," he said. "There are a few people here whom I believe would like to see you." He directed her gaze to the back of the crowd gathered there.

Slowly, Ruby turned around, and her team followed suit.

Two tall male figures were standing there, slowly making their way up towards her. Ruby's jaw dropped as she gasped, and she brought her hands to her mouth. Ozpin's voice spoke gently behind her.

"I called them here for you today. Please go and see them."

She didn't need any more coaxing than that.

Ruby tore off through the crowds as fast as her legs could carry her, and a surprised cry told her Yang wasn't far behind.

The two men with grey and blonde hair opened their arms to the girls. Ruby threw herself at her uncle Qrow, and he caught her firmly. Yang did the same to their father, who kissed her head without a word.

"Dad..." she sighed. "Dad... I'm so sorry..."

TaiYang held her close, his kind eyes sad, but all-too understanding.

"It's alright, Yang."

Ruby couldn't even speak as she bawled into her uncle's shirt. It had been a long time since she'd last seen him. Sadness and joy filled her to the brim now and overflowed.

As the two sisters cried into their uncle's and father's chests, Weiss and Blake approached more slowly, somewhat confused as to how they should be acting right now. They hung back a few paces, letting the family have their moment.

Ruby continued to cry for another moment or so, whereas Yang pulled away from her father and wiped her eyes.

"Oh yeah..." she said. "Weiss, Blake... this is our dad. And that's our Uncle Qrow."

The two girls quickly bowed to the two men.

"It's very nice to meet you," Weiss said politely.

"Yang and Ruby are always talking about you," Blake added.

TaiYang smiled at them.

"It's the same with me. They're always talking about you girls. Thank you for taking such good care of them all this time. I trust you'll continue to do so in the future."

Next, it was Qrow who spoke, still patting Ruby on the back as he did so.

"TaiYang and I were called here today by your Headmaster. He told us what happened. I'm very sorry to hear it. Zwei was a good dog."

"Always was," TaiYang added. "Since day one. Even as a pup, that little rascal never had a mean bone in his body. He had a good spirit. I want to thank you all for taking such good care of him until his final hours."

Here, Yang swallowed thickly.

"Dad... I'm sorry. I couldn't-"

"I know you did all you could, Yang. You and Ruby and your team gave him the best life he ever could've wished for. I know he was happy to give up his life for yours. You did very well. Thank you for giving him such a good, long life. You let him become a hero."

He pulled her into another hug, then reached out to take Ruby into his arms as well.

For a moment, he held both of his daughters as they cried, then gently kissed them both before letting Qrow take over once again.

TaiYang instead went to Weiss and Blake, pausing a few feet away from them. He still wore that sad smile, but his eyes were calm and reserved.

First, he looked to Blake.

"Miss Belladonna, I presume? I know all about the incident with the Ursa many years back. Yang and Ruby both told me how you'd been with Zwei back then, and how you saved his life by giving him your aura.

"I wanted to thank you for being so selfless at the time. Had he not survived past that incident, your Headmaster never would have recognized the animals at this school or allowed them to work with people here. And Zwei wouldn't have been around long enough to protect so many people and to make them smile."

His eyes flashed briefly back to his two daughters before he extended his hand toward Blake. The Faunus girl dipped her head and proudly shook his hand.

"It was my honor to be able to train with him, sir."

TaiYang nodded as he withdrew his hand.

Next, he turned to Weiss, who met his gaze with equal seriousness.

"You must be Miss Schnee. I heard all about your efforts at the time to pay for Zwei's new paw. I understand such a feat wasn't simple for your to accomplish, nor was it inexpensive. With your sacrifice, you ensured Zwei could have the highest quality of life possible, given the circumstances. And for that, I thank you."

He offered his hand to her, and Weiss accepted it.

"In light of all Zwei has done for us, it was a small sacrifice, sir."

He nodded, still smiling as he pulled away.

By then, Ruby and Yang had stepped away from Qrow and were holding one another. TaiYang swept his gaze around the four girls and addressed them all.

"I understand you will be given a week-long vacation now in Zwei's honor and to allow repairs the school. That's why I'd like to invite you all back to my home for the break. If it's at all possible, I think it best for your team to stay together."

Ruby and Yang both nodded quickly.

"Yeah," the blonde said. "I wanna come home for a bit."

"Me, too," Ruby agreed.

"Your uncle Qrow and I would love to have you," TaiYang assured them. "And what of your partners?"

Blake was first to speak up.

"I would love to come with you, sir."

"And I'd love to have you, Miss Belladonna."

Finally, Weiss spoke her part.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble to impose, I'd like to come along as well."

The man's smile widened a bit.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow, we'll all go back to Patch for a little time to rest. I'm sure there's plenty Ruby and Yang can show you."

"But for now," Qrow said. "If you'd all like, we can take you to Vale for some lunch. How does that sound?"

The girls all shared glances with one another. They agreed to come along after they'd gotten a few minutes to wash up in the dorm room. The two men readily agreed to the terms.

Together, the group turned back toward the school building.

By now, the crowds around Zwei's memorial had dwindled, though his gravestone and statue were covered in gifts of all kinds. Tons of wildflowers had been laid out all around, blanketing the grass at his statue's paws in vibrant rainbows.

Yang stayed between her father and uncle as they headed off, and Weiss and Blake stuck together close behind her. Ruby was at her sister's side until she halted in her spot.

"Hold on," she said quickly.

Ruby slipped away from the group for a moment, and they all turned to watch her.

She darted back through the lines of grieving students, weaving amongst them until she came to a stop, standing before Zwei's grave once more.

The headstone, plaque, and statue were all now decorated with toys, photos, cards, flowers, and all kinds of gifts for him. Ruby dropped to one knee before his statue and carefully wrapped her arms around him. She sniffled once, then whispered for Zwei alone.

"Good boy."

She kissed his nose.

With that, Ruby stood once again and hurried off to rejoin the others.

That warm breeze continued to grace Beacon for a long while to come.

It danced around the campus, playing with the flowers and running through the grass.

It became a permanent part of the academy where a precious pet had fallen.

But now, it was the place where a treasured and beloved hero watched over them.

* * *

 **A/N: After discussing it further with ChuckleBrotherz, I decided to not make the bad end the only option, as it's just too sad. We agreed that the "true" ending for this series will be the 'good end' chapter. So if you want to read the next fic in the saga, The Huntress' Vacation (which will be posted soon), you might want to read the good end after all.**

 **If you decided to read this one, then I commend you, because I teared up several times when writing and revising it.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Good End

**The ending is shorter than the bad end because it wasn't the original request, so I didn't put as much detail into it.**

* * *

Good End

Everything stopped.

The fighting.

The world.

Her heart.

Or so it felt.

As the dreadful alarms continued to shout their warning of danger, Ruby was forced to look it right in the face.

An uncaring snarl curled Cinder's lip as she let the arrow stay embedded for a moment. Even from here past the fog, Ruby could see the cruel crimson as it leaked from Zwei's belly. His little paws were still scratching defiantly at the air, his whimpers rising up in broken sounds.

All eyes were on Cinder. Everyone had witnessed the horrid deed she'd just committed.

And there was at least one person who wasn't about to let it go unpunished.

Ruby could tell that the woman was bracing herself to yank the arrow out of her beloved dog, and she knew all too well that such an action would only let him bleed out more quickly.

Ruby screamed so loudly her voice cracked.

" _NO!_ "

Her legs were trembling at the sight of such horror, and her chest was knotted with fear, disgust, and dread.

But that didn't stop her from moving.

She wasn't about to let Cinder bleed out her beloved dog without making a damn good effort to try and stop it.

She forced her feet into motion, and her hands naturally went for her weapon. An anguished and yet furious cry tore from her throat as she extended her scythe towards Cinder.

The woman was taken by surprise at the sudden charge. She didn't have enough time to bother trying to extract the embedded arrow. Crescent Rose was upon her in seconds, a furious flash of red and silver metal that sought her blood.

With a snort, Cinder released the arrow and jumped back, leaving Zwei to whimper as the weapon still impaling him was moved.

Ruby screamed louder than she'd ever made any kind of noise before. Wails of grief bled into her voice as she swung her weapon at her adversary full-force.

As a Beacon student, she'd been trained not to aim to kill at a human opponent unless absolutely necessary.

But right now, Ruby wouldn't have even cared if she'd cut Cinder in two.

With another scream, she swung again, forcing Cinder to jump back and disappear into the fog. Ruby screeched again, flinging Crescent Rose after her. The blade cut through the smoke for a moment, creating a temporary line in midair before the fog filled it back in.

By now, her shoes had stepped into a puddle of liquid red. With her eyes swelling with tears and her heart about to break, Ruby forced herself to look down at him.

"Oh... O-Oh no..." She dropped her scythe, letting it clatter loudly to the ground, a string of whimpering pleas tumbling from her quivering lips. "No no no no no-"

She dropped to her knees at his side, forced to look at the cruel black arrow still protruding from his poor belly. His fur was caked with blood, and more of it was oozing out by the second.

She could tell that the arrow had pierced his old wound from many years ago, when an Ursa had cut him open and only Blake's selflessness had spared his life. The old wound had been punctured anew and was eager to bleed.

Not knowing what more she could do, Ruby reached out and pressed her palms around the wound. Zwei whimpered and lifted his head a bit, his pained eyes flashing with recognition now. He gave a happy little yip, though it was raspy and thin.

Ruby sobbed, doing her best to crack a smile as she reached out to gently pat his head.

"Zwei... my good boy..." She choked back another sob in favor of finding her voice. Ruby inhaled deeply and then cried out for her team. "Yang! Weiss! Blake!" she wailed. "P-Please-! ...Please help..."

Her posture slumped forward helplessly, and the tears took over. Hot and laden with grief, they fell down her face in rivulets, her back and shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Her limp fingers curled in and out of Zwei's fur. One hand continued to pet his head. The other tried to apply pressure on the wound as best she could manage.

Ruby could barely make sense of anything for a long minute. The tears made her vision blurry and stinging, but her eyes stayed on Zwei. The things she heard sounded muffled, distant, as though they were happening somewhere far away.

Somewhere along the lines, the alarms stopped blaring, the fog cleared, and there was an order shouted to retreat.

And then, the next thing she knew, there was a shaking hand on her back.

Ruby jolted and looked up, blinking away more and more tears. Her team stood beside her now, bruised and battered, even more so than they'd been after their most recent mission.

Yang's eyes were full of sorrow and pain, and Ruby knew her heart was breaking as well. Blake had Weiss' arm slung over her shoulder, and the heiress was barely conscious. But she saw the horrors that had befallen their beloved companion and had to look away. Blake was shaking her head, trying not to look, but unable to peel her gaze from him.

Ruby sniffled and choked on her breath, then tried again.

"We-We've gotta do something-"

Yang dropped heavily to her knees beside her sister. Then she reached out, placing both of her hands over Ruby's to steady them on Zwei's trembling body.

"We will," she promised.

Carefully, Blake lowered Weiss and herself down to the blood-soaked floor on the opposite side of Zwei's body from where the sisters had crumpled.

Blake's ears were flattened against her head at the awful sight, Yang was biting back sobs almost as much as Ruby was. Weiss was coughing and swaying against Blake's side, but that didn't stop her from thinking as quickly and logically as possible.

"Aura..." she rasped. "Give him as... as much as we can spare. Close the wound as we extract the arrow."

The directions were simple enough, but performing those actions would surely be an agonizing process.

Nonetheless, they were all resolved to do it.

They all unlocked their auras and began transferring as much as they could spare to Zwei without endangering their own wellbeing.

Each girl managed the flow of healing energies and directed it towards Zwei, specifically at the wound in his belly. The little corgi whimpered repeatedly, but at the very least, those sounds of pain told them he was still alive.

Yang ducked her face into her shoulder to wipe away some of the grime, sweat, and tears.

"C'mon, boy..." she rasped. "Don't die on us..."

"You can do it, Zwei," Ruby encouraged him. "Hang in there. _Please_..."

The dog gave a meek little bark and sniffled. Ruby sobbed again, but she didn't relinquish the flow of her aura.

After a moment or so of intense concentration from the four of them, the flow of blood spilling from the dog's wound visibly began to lessen and slow.

At that point, Weiss mumbled something to Blake who then declared it louder.

"Now," she said. "We need to start extracting the arrow."

"I'll do it," Yang volunteered.

Ruby nodded quickly, uttering silent thanks to her big sister for always dealing with the hardest parts of the messiest situations.

Yang kept one hand on Zwei's belly, where the arrow met his fur. With that hand, she continued to emit a gentle flow of her aura. Combined with everyone else's, it would numb or at the very least lessen the pain he was feeling.

With her other hand, Yang gripped the arrow tightly. She inhaled a deep breath, then let it out much more slowly.

Then, she began to pull.

Zwei cringed at the sudden pressure on his wound, and his jaws parted in a weak wail of pain. Ruby sniffled and reached out to caress his head.

"It's okay..." she mumbled. "You're guh... gonna be okay, boy."

As she, Blake, and Weiss continued to spare whatever aura they could, Yang continued to pull at the arrow. Cinder had forced it through until the tip had pierced through his opposite flank and met with the tiled floor underneath.

It took her several minutes to get it most of the way out.

All the while, whenever she budged it, the others would pour in their aura to help close the wound and slow the bleeding.

Zwei did his best to hold still despite the excruciating pain that was throbbing through his tiny body. Sometimes he yelped or whined, but Ruby was always there to comfort him and kiss his head, murmuring loving phrases to him.

Before long, Yang cleared her throat and grunted a warning to the rest of them.

"Last one."

With that, she gave one final pull and the arrow was out. A spurt of blood followed it, but Yang quickly covered the open wound with her free hand.

All of their hands were piled together now, covered in the blood of their treasured companion and pet.

Together, they transferred as much aura as they could. Zwei was panting meekly beneath their palms, his eyes having closed many minutes ago. Ruby kept bending down to kiss him and cry into his fur.

Before much longer, Yang could tell that the wound was closing up, and she dared to remove one of her hands so she may pull Ruby close to her with it. But the blonde girl noticed right away when Weiss' hands trembled beneath her own and suddenly slipped.

"Whoa!" Yang reached out to steady the girl, just barely stopping her from falling over. Weiss stubbornly shook herself and repositioned her hands over Zwei's wound. Yang gave her a disapproving look. "Hey, hold it, princess. You need to stop. Now."

Weiss snorted and tried to refocus on her task.

"Nonsense. I won't stop... until-"

" _Weiss_." Yang's voice was earnest, enough to have the heiress looking away from Zwei and up at her now. She was a little baffled to find Yang was cracking a small, exhausted smile now. "It's okay, Weiss. He's gonna be fine. The bleeding's stopped."

"She's right," Blake confirmed. "The wound's completely closed now."

As soon as Weiss realized it was true, she allowed Blake to gently pull her hands away. Yang did the same for Ruby, removing her little sister's hands from their dog to pull her into a hug instead.

Zwei was unconscious now, but still breathing, and the puddle of blood around him stopped expanding.

Ruby collapsed into her sister's arms, bawling with relief. Yang cried as well, petting all up and down her sister's back.

"It's okay," she soothed. "He's gonna be alright. We did it, Ruby."

Ruby simply continued to blubber uncontrollably into Yang's shoulder, squeezing her tightly and with great relief.

Weiss finally slumped against Blake, and the Faunus girl wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Weiss had been past her limit before in the battle, and now she was even further past that. Blake was surprised she was still conscious.

"Rest," she murmured. "Just lean on me. Breathe. It's okay."

This time, Weiss willingly closed her eyes and did her best to comply.

Blake, however, continued to use her one free hand to share her aura with Zwei. She'd been the one to save him when the Ursa had ripped him open, and the images of that gory scene still haunted her to this day. She couldn't help but think his current wound might not have been so dire had it not overlapped the old one.

Blake sniffled, ducking her face into her shoulder as she continued to let her aura flow onto the little dog.

Even though Yang was intent on comforting her sister at the moment, she was perceptive enough to notice her partner wasn't thinking clearly. Yang lifted her gaze and softly called out to her.

"Blake. Hey..."

With one hand, Yang reached out to cover Blake's quivering knuckles. Her lavender eyes sought out that familiar gold she loved so much. Wearily, Blake lifted her head, her ears still trembling slightly.

"Yang... I-"

"You did it, Blake," Yang stopped her. "We did it. Together. He's gonna be fine. So take it easy, okay? Please?"

Gently, Yang pushed Blake's hand away from Zwei, so that the Faunus girl was forced to keep the last remnants of her aura for herself. Zwei was still unconscious, but his breathing was strengthening by the minute.

Blake held her partner's gaze a moment longer before she began to cry as well. Yang offered a tearful smile.

"It's okay," she said, addressing all of them, and yet no one in particular. "It's okay."

The four girls sat huddled around their loyal companion, sobbing and clinging to one another.

It was no surprise that when their allies discovered them sitting in a puddle of blood like that, they assumed the worst for Zwei.

Team JNPR had fended off Cinder and the other attackers as best they could in the minutes after Zwei had been attacked. But shortly afterward, Ozpin's reinforcements had arrived.

James Ironwood and his forces had swarmed Beacon's campus, heavily armed and ready to fight. They'd captured many of the terrorists and chased off the others who managed to slip past the army and retreat on their own Air Ship.

When Pyrrha found the four sobbing girls, she knelt down and explained all of this to them.

Presently, she was exhausted as she spoke, and reluctant to smile.

"It's over now," she said at last. "Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood have confirmed the threat has past and all questionable persons on-sight have been detained. They're searching the school now to care for injured students and staff." Pyrrha swept her gaze around at the four of them, noticing just how battered and enervated they were. "I'll take you four to the infirmary. Come on."

"W-Wait!" Ruby gasped. "Zwei... Pyrrha, t-take Zwei, please!"

The crimson-haired girl hesitated, and her eyes flashed to Yang's. The blonde could tell her friend was skeptical about Zwei's wellbeing, but Yang was thankful she was able to crack a smile and nod to Pyrrha.

"Yeah," she said. "Please take him."

Blake was nodding as well, and had Weiss been conscious, Pyrrha guessed she would've been doing the same. She now could see that the dog was still breathing despite the dangerous amount of blood that had been spilled. But nonetheless, she wasted no time in gently cradling the corgi in her arms and lifting him up.

Yang staggered to her feet, helping Ruby up as well. Her little sister was still trembling all over, not from the vicious and unexpected infiltration and the ensuing battle, but because of what had happened to Zwei. She was used to combat, but not to losing a friend in the midst of it.

Yang just kept reminding her that Zwei was alive and that they were all going to be okay.

Blake was struggling to get Weiss on her feet, as she was too weak to carry the heiress.

Ruby swallowed and wiped her eyes before doing her best to put on her leader's expression again. She went to help Blake, pulling one of Weiss' arms across her shoulders to help share the heiress' limp weight.

Yang kept one hand on her sister's back, and the other on the gash in her own side.

Together, they hobbled after Pyrrha toward the infirmary wing.

Ruby couldn't remember much after that.

As soon as they got close enough, nurses and medics rushed out to meet them. Someone carefully took Zwei from Pyrrha's arms and brought him somewhere else.

Yang was led to one of the beds to sit down as they tended to the worst of her wounds.

Blake was coaxed into a chair and was urged to swallow a few pills.

Weiss was laid down onto a bed where they pressed an oxygen mask over her mouth to help her breathe.

And then someone took Ruby to a bed as well, asked her a multitude of questions she couldn't be sure she answered or not, and then she slumped back onto the pillows and slept for a long time.

* * *

It was several days later when Ruby and her team were finally discharged.

The four of them had been in and out of consciousness throughout that period of time, but it was always the same whenever one of them woke. They'd ask how their teammates and partners were doing, ask if they were okay, ask if the school was safe and if their friends and teachers and the other students were okay.

Ruby had been placed in the same room as Weiss, and as the hours and days went on, she watched the nurses progressively remove the oxygen mask until Weiss could safely breathe on her own. As soon as Ruby was allowed to get up from her own bed, aching and limping as she was, she sat on the edge of Weiss' and kept her company.

Whenever her partner opened her eyes, they'd smile at one another and talk softly. Ruby asked the nurses how Yang and Blake were doing, and she passed on the news of their recoveries to Weiss.

It wasn't long before their teammates were knocking on their door and limping in, dressed in the same hospital robes with their hair down and smiles wide. They embraced each other and shared news of Beacon's triumph and recovery.

And when the four of them were finally strong enough to eat hearty meals and walk on their own, they were given clean uniforms and allowed to leave.

. . .

Ruby had just finished changing in the small bathroom in hers and Weiss' room. She emerged to find her partner sitting on one of the clean, neatly-made beds.

Yang and Blake had arrived as well.

The three of them looked up, offering her reassuring smiles.

After everything that had happened, there was still one place they needed to go, one companion they needed to see.

They helped one another up, chuckling sheepishly at how unbalanced they felt or whining playfully about the aches in their backs.

Together, they exited the room. A nurse met them in the hallway and knew exactly where they wanted to go. She led them down a few more hallways to a smaller portion of the medical wing.

Rather than beds that could fit people, now the rooms had sizable cages padded with soft blankets and lined with pillows.

The girls were led into one room in particular. The nurse bent down to open up the door of one of the cages there.

Ruby burst into tears and fell to her knees, opening her arms as Zwei came scampering up to her. His belly had been sewn up and wrapped around with bandages, and his collar had been temporarily removed.

Right now, he wasn't Beacon's highly-praised animal companion - right now, he was her sweet little doggie.

Zwei yipped gleefully as he jumped into Ruby's arms, whimpering happy sounds as he licked every inch of her he could get at. His tail was going faster than a propeller, his paws wiggling as he tried to climb up to get ever closer to her.

Ruby just kept crying and laughing in between heartfelt phrases for him.

"Good boy... that's my good boy."

The others slowly knelt down beside her, joyously embracing both Ruby and Zwei. They showered him with affectionate kisses, scratching his chin and back all the while.

They stayed that way for a rather long time, long enough that the nurses left them for the time being.

It was warm all around, tears shedding relief as hearts soared with joy.

Zwei excitedly took a turn in each of the girl's laps, nuzzling and licking them to no end as they praised and coddled him.

When at last they couldn't cry anymore, they opted to help each other to their feet.

Ruby kept hold of Zwei, bumping him up onto her shoulder as she so often loved to do. Zwei laid there with his back paws dangling over the back of her shoulder and his front paws dangling over the front. His tongue lolled out as he panted happily, occasionally rubbing his head against hers.

Yang picked up his green and silver collar that had been left on a nearby table and slipped it around her wrist for the moment.

They thanked the nurses and doctors who had helped them, and then were off.

As the team slowly made their way back through the buildings, they passed by many of their friends and classmates. Underclassmen bunched in groups around them to admire the senior team, calling out words of praise, admiration, and gratitude.

To the girls' bafflement, some of the younger students even went so far as to ask for autographs. That ensured Yang would be talking about her "adoring fans" for many weeks to come.

Some requested to pet Zwei, and Ruby gladly let them. He was happy to lick all those new hands.

As they walked, they could see where certain parts of the campus were still being cleaned up or fixed since the attack. Classes hadn't started back up again either, so most of the students were wandering about outside at their leisure or resting in their dorm rooms.

After nearly half an hour of conversing with other students and listening to what was going on with the Academy, they finally neared the dorm buildings.

By this point, Yang was wincing at the ache in her side again, Blake was very nearly asleep on her feet, and Weiss was beginning to get lightheaded. Ruby had to admit she was liking the idea of collapsing into bed again as well.

They quite literally bumped into team JNPR, who were also bruised and bandaged much like they themselves were. But there were triumphant grins all around as they patted each other on the backs – in Yang's case, perhaps a little too hard, for she sheepishly left Jaune groaning.

Pyrrha was certain to hug Zwei as well, for she'd been the only other person to see how gravely he'd been hurt before. They were all glad to see the corgi back in business and happy again.

Team RWBY parted ways with their good friends of several years, and at last turned the corner to where their own dorm room awaited them.

However, it appeared there were two last people who wanted to speak to them.

Ozpin and Glynda stood in the hallway, expectantly awaiting the girls' return. The four of them straightened up as best they could and dipped their heads.

"No need at all for formalities," Ozpin said kindly. "It's good to see you're all looking better. We'll try not to keep you too long."

At this point, Glynda heaved a sigh.

"Allow me to apologize on Professor Ozpin's behalf," she said to the girls. "I'd _advised_ him that we should wait and let you all rest, but he insisted on seeing you as soon as you were discharged."

"For a good reason," he continued. "I'd just wanted to ensure you were all on the surefire path to recovery."

"We are," Ruby said, speaking for them all. "But if there's something you need us for-"

"Absolutely not!" Glynda cut in abruptly. "You're all to rest for at least a few more days. Don't be absurd. We'd never ask you to do anything more than you already have."

"You see," Ozpin went on. "We came here to formally show our appreciation, and to recognize you for your services to Beacon Academy as a whole."

As he spoke, his gaze traveled around to meet all of theirs in turn.

"For nearly four years now, you girls have proven to be exceptional learners, fighters, and students in general. I merely wanted to tell you of my deep appreciation towards you all, on the behalf of Beacon Academy itself. And it is in your honor – and the honor of your exceptional companion – " he added, nodding to Zwei. "That I inform you there will be a school-wide announcement tomorrow. If you're well enough to attend the assembly, I would be honored to see you all there."

"Don't listen to him," Glynda huffed. "Should you need to rest and recuperate, don't worry about the assembly. We'll get the news to you some other way."

"No!" Ruby blurted. "We'll be there! Or at least I will be! I don't know how badly you guys are hurt, but-"

"Of course we'll be there," Weiss stopped her. "We wouldn't miss it, Professor."

"I'll be there, too," Blake added.

"Yeah, we're all good!" Yang reassured them. She gave Ruby a light pat on the back. "Don't sweat it, sis. We're fine. We can handle walking to the auditorium and back again."

Ozpin smiled again.

"I'm glad to hear it. And please bring Zwei along, if he's able."

Ruby grinned back at him.

"You bet'cha! I mean, yes sir! We'll all be there then!"

"I'm glad. Now then, we'll leave you all to get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

As the professors took their leave, the girls politely said their goodbyes.

Finally, Ruby dug into her pocket to remove her scroll, which had been recovered and charged in the infirmary. She opened their door, revealing that it was just as it'd been several days earlier when they'd left it under the impression that they'd be going to classes for a normal school day.

They wasted no time in removing their shoes, stumbling in, and retreating to their beds.

Yang flopped down without a care in the world, though the force of the bounce did end up making her wince at a pain in her side, but she merely sighed into her pillow in great relief.

Blake sat down a bit more gracefully, pulling her legs up onto her mattress and leaning back against the pillows on her headboard, closing her eyes and exhaling slowly.

Weiss – who usually always made it a point not to sleep in anything but the intended sleepwear – didn't bother changing out of her uniform this time. She sat with painstaking slowness as not to aggravate her still-healing shoulder and laid down on her good side.

Ruby was the last one to reach her bed. She looked over her teammates to ensure they were all okay before letting herself relax.

Zwei hopped up beside her now, waddling about as though he'd forgotten all about the ugly wound beneath his bandages. Yang hadn't put his collar back on yet, so now as he stared innocently up at Ruby with those big round eyes, he looked almost exactly the same as he had as a puppy.

Ruby laid down on her back and patted her chest, making kissing sounds at him to invite him up. Zwei whined and crawled up onto her stomach. His paws tickled her, and Ruby giggled a bit, wrapping her arms around his back.

"Good boy..." she mumbled. "Let's... get some rest..."

The dog sighed and rested his chin on her chest before slowly closing his eyes.

Ruby took one last glance sideways at her teammates. They had already succumbed to their exhaustion, and the sounds of their soft breathing reached her ears.

However, it wasn't long before all else was drowned out by Yang's snoring.

Ruby smiled to herself, hugged Zwei a little tighter, and allowed sleep to wash over her.

* * *

After a day of rest and a few indulgent meals, team RWBY was ready for the trek to the auditorium for the assembly.

Yang made sure to fasten on Zwei's collar before Ruby scooped him up over her shoulder and led them out.

It all seemed somewhat familiar, almost like the time Ozpin had called for a school assembly to appoint Zwei as the first animal companion, and to officially recognize that Beacon would start utilizing and training them.

They stuck together as they made their way through the hallways, where students of all ages were filing together and heading toward the auditorium.

Ozpin was already standing on-stage by the time they arrived.

Keeping Zwei balanced on her shoulder, Ruby slipped into the crowd, and her team followed after her.

"Wonder what all this hubbub is about," Yang wondered.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"You know, if you'd just wait another moment, he'll tell you himself."

"Really, Yang," Blake said playfully.

"Oh, what was that?" Yang taunted with a grin. "Um, _who_ was it again that got asked for five autographs and _who_ was it that got asked for only four?"

Weiss glowered up at her.

"I told you, that was only because-"

"Because they were too scared to approach you," Blake filled in, nudging the heiress.

Weiss rounded on her.

"Who's side are you on, anyway, Belladonna?"

"Ye~ah!" Yang cheered. "That's my partner!"

"But, Yang also did kinda just sign that one boy's paper even when he didn't ask her to," Blake went on.

The palm Yang had held out towards her for a high-five promptly fell limply at her side.

Ruby chuckled at their friendly bantering, something that had never changed over their years together. She offered Yang a consoling pat on the back.

Being the leader of the team, Ruby had actually been asked for six autographs, but she hadn't told Yang about that.

She felt Zwei wiggle on her shoulder and Ruby reached up to pet him. He licked her cheek and padded his paws on the front of her shoulder.

At that time, Ozpin's voice spoke out over the microphone and requested silence. The chatting of the gathered students quickly died down into murmurs as all eyes were directed to their Headmaster. Ozpin cleared his throat and scanned the crowds before beginning his speech.

"Good morning, and thank you all for coming," he began. "As you all know, we are currently in the stages of recovery from the most recent attack on our prestigious academy. This is only the fifth time in Beacon's history that it has been successfully infiltrated, and I ensure you that measures are being taken to prevent it from ever happening again.

"With the help of my good friend General Ironwood, we will be installing a new security system into place as shortly as possible. This process, along with the refurbishment and reconstruction of damaged areas of the buildings, should take about one week. Therefore, classes at Beacon Academy shall be cancelled for one full week starting the day after tomorrow."

Instantly, gasps of surprise and glee went up amongst the students. Even Ruby was shocked by the unexpected but certainly not unpleasant announcement.

A thousand different thoughts jumped to the forefront of her mind, and judging by the baffled looks on her teammates' faces, the same was true for them.

But they could think about that later. For now, their Headmaster was still speaking.

"Consider it my thanks to all of you," he was saying. "For your obedience to authority during a crisis. And to those senior students who risked their lives in battle in order to defined this school. On behalf of all staff and administration, I thank you for your services. This recess is in thanks to all of you."

At that, the entire auditorium rose up in cheers. The terrifying siege attempt on the school had transformed into an unexpected vacation, and the time off would surely give the students some peace of mind.

Ozpin continued speaking after the applause went up.

"We have called for Air Ships to be ready in two days time to take you all back to Vale. Please check the emails I've sent to your scrolls and input the proper information if you would like to be taken to another city or region."

It was then Glynda stepped up to add a comment of her own.

"Classes will commence normally the Monday you all return. Don't slack off and get lazy just because of this vacation. You'll have plenty of work piled up for when you come back."

Some of the students groaned, but most chose to blissfully ignore that part of the announcement.

Ozpin advised that the students begin packing and making preparations for their upcoming recess, and then announced that everyone gathered was dismissed.

Ruby spun around to face her teammates and clapped her hands in excitement.

"This is awesome! We'll get our own mini vacations!"

"I should call Dad," Yang said. "Remind me when we get back to the room."

"What about you guys?" Ruby asked, looking to Blake and Weiss. "Are you guys gonna head home?"

By now, she knew enough about their family situations. Neither of the sisters were all that surprised when Blake shrugged her shoulders a bit.

"Do you think... we could do what we did last time?" she mumbled. "Would it be okay if I came to Patch with you guys?"

Ruby and Yang shared a quick glance and a smile.

"Sure!" Ruby agreed.

"We'd love that, partner!" Yang slung an arm around Blake's shoulders, and the girl's Faunus ears perked up.

"Thanks."

Ruby looked to her own partner.

"What about you, Weiss?"

The heiress pondered for a moment, rubbing her hand over her sore shoulder.

"Well... this is on fairly short notice. I'm not sure if my father would be able to make arrangements on time..."

"Sooooo~?" Ruby hummed knowingly.

Weiss sighed and offered a smile.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd love to join you all in Patch."

"Yes!" Ruby squealed. "Yes, yes, yes! Team vacation! Ohhh, we haven't gotten to do this since sophomore year! It's gonna be great!"

Smiles appeared all around on their faces, and from Ruby's shoulder, Zwei gave an excited bark.

They engaged in a small group hug as people began filing out around them. The four girls began discussing what they should do now that they had no classes to attend to.

"We should rest up a bit more," Blake suggested.

"Maybe do a bit of laundry?" Weiss put in.

"No, we gotta pack first!" Yang declared.

As they tried to figure it out, Ruby stepped up as the leader and put her foot down.

"Okay, all that stuff's great!" she said, looking around to each of them. "Don't worry. We'll do aaallll of that and more! But first..." Ruby let out a little sigh and then presented her team with a beaming smile. "How about some lunch?"

The others all closed their mouths, shared glances with one another, and soon gave in.

They reflected their leader's smile all around.

"Lunch sounds perfect."

"I'm in."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm starving!"

"Arf!"

At the final comment from Zwei, the four of them burst into merry laughter.

They all gave him a pat or a kiss on the head.

Finally, they headed out together, ready to prepare for the upcoming vacation they could all spend and enjoy together.

* * *

 **A/N: Reminder that _t_** ** _his_ will be the "true end" to this story, and the next fic, The Huntress' Vacation, will be based off of this and not the bad end!**

 **Thanks to all who read! I hope you enjoyed this wild ride!**

 **And again, a big thanks to ChuckleBrotherz!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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